Southern District of California Bankruptcy Court announces mandatory CM/ECF filings.

After 11 years of voluntary electronic filing by attorneys and trustees, the Southern District of California
has determined it is time to mandate the electronic filing and submission of all documents filed by attorneys
and trustees in this court, effective March 1, 2010.  

General Order 162-A ( http://www.casb.uscourts.gov/pdf/GO162a.pdf )amends the courts original
Provisions for Electronic Filing.  The public comment period is now open until January 29, 2010.  

Amended Administrative Procedures and Guidelines for Electronic Filing
( http://www.casb.uscourts.gov/pdf/admin_proc0310.pdf )have also been adopted.  These also
become effective on March 1. 

Training for non-ECF users will be available from the Clerks Office with additional resources after
the first of the year to accommodate the expected increase in filers needing training.

Attorneys and trustees who file some documents electronic and some in paper should begin to
re-evaluate internal processes to make the complete conversion to electronic filing by March 1.

The benefits of electronic filing are well documented (i.e. near 24/7 access to filing, email notices
of all activity in your cases, electronic submission of proposed orders) and everyone gains when
we are all using one system. We will work together to make this transition as smooth as possible.

Absent further order of this court and to allow non-CM/ECF users to become participants, the
effective date of this order shall be March 1, 2010. Any comments should be submitted to the
Clerk of Court at 325 West F Street, San Diego, California 92101-6991. Please note on
the envelope: In re: Mandatory ECF.