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CIVIL RULES

LR 1.1 Definitions

Unless the context indicates a contrary intention, the following definitions apply in these rules:

  1. Court. The word "court" means the district judges of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, as a collective body.
  2. Presiding Judge. The term "presiding judge" means the judge to whom a case is assigned. The word "judge" includes district judges and magistrate judges.
  3. Attorney. The word "attorney" means either:
    1. a person licensed to practice law by the highest court of any state or the District of Columbia; or
    2. a party proceeding pro se in any civil action.
  4. Clerk. The word "clerk" means the clerk of this court.
  5. Discovery Materials.  The term "discovery materials" means notices of and depositions upon oral examination or written questions, interrogatories, requests for documents and things, requests for inspection or to permit entry upon land, requests for admission, and answers and responses thereto, and disclosures made in compliance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(1) or (2).
  6. ECF. The term "ECF" means electronic case files and refers to the court's web-based document filing system that allows a document to be transmitted, signed, or verified by electronic means in a manner that is consistent with technical standards established by the Judicial Conference of the United States.

LR 3.1 Filing Complaint

When a complaint is filed, the plaintiff must provide the clerk with an original and one copy of the complaint, and with the following:

  1. sufficient copies of the complaint for service on each defendant whom the plaintiff desires to be served;
  2. an original and one copy of a completed civil summons form for each defendant whom the plaintiff desires to be served;
  3. an original and one copy of a civil cover sheet;
  4. the required filing fee or the appropriate application to proceed without prepayment of fees;
  5. two additional copies of the complaint and civil summons form, and the required fee, for each defendant whom the plaintiff desires to be served through an agent authorized by law to receive service of process; and
  6. a separately signed certificate of interested persons that contains a complete list of all persons, associations of persons, firms, partnerships, corporations, guarantors, insurers, affiliates, parent or subsidiary corporations, or other legal entities who or which are financially interested in the outcome of the case. If a large group of persons or firms can be specified by a generic description, individual listing is not necessary.

LR 4.1 Proof of Service or of Waiver of Service

Proof of service or of waiver of service must be made by filing with the clerk an original, and, when submitted on paper, one copy of the summons, affidavit, or executed waiver.

LR 4.2 Marshal's Fees [Repealed 9-1-04]

LR 5.1 Filing and Serving Pleadings, Motions, or Other Papers

  1. Filing with the Clerk. A pleading, motion, or other paper that the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure permit or require to be filed, or that the court orders to be filed, that is submitted on paper, must be filed with the clerk's office for the appropriate division. Such pleadings, motions, or other papers must not be sent directly to the presiding judge.
  2. Duplicates Required. An original and one copy of each pleading, motion, or other paper that is submitted on paper must be filed with the clerk.
  3. Document Containing More Than One Pleading, Motion, or Other Paper. Except for a proposed order or judgment, a document may contain more than one pleading, motion, or other paper. Any such document must clearly identify each included pleading, motion, or other paper in its title.
  4. Serving by Electronic Means. Delivery of the notice of electronic filing that is automatically generated by ECF constitutes service under Fed. R. Civ. P. 5(b)(2)(D) on each party who is a registered user of ECF.
  5. Electronic Filing Permitted. In a case designated by the presiding judge as an ECF case, the clerk will accept any pleading, motion, or other paper submitted by an attorney (other than a party proceeding pro se) for filing by electronic means, subject to the restrictions and requirements of the ECF Administrative Procedures Manual.

LR 5.2 Filing Discovery Materials

  1. Discovery Materials Not to be Filed. [Repealed 12-1-00]
  2. Deposition Notices Not to be Filed. [Repealed 12-1-00]
  3. Filing Discovery Materials for Use in Discovery Proceedings.  A motion that relates to a discovery proceeding must only contain the portions of the discovery materials in dispute.
  4. Filing Discovery Materials for Use in Pretrial Motions. When discovery materials are necessary for consideration of a pretrial motion, a party shall file only the portions of discovery on which that party relies to support or oppose the motion.

LR 5.3 Prisoner's Civil Rights Complaints   

A prisoner's complaint alleging violations of civil rights under 28 U.S.C. § 1331 or § 1343 must be filed in accordance with the current miscellaneous order establishing procedures for such actions.

LR 5.4 Post-Conviction Relief   

A prisoner petition or motion filed under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 or § 2255 must be filed in accordance with the current miscellaneous order establishing procedures for such petitions or motions.

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