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Signatures And E-Filed Documents

Per Civil Local Rule 5.1, all documents submitted under the attorney’s login and password are automatically considered signed by that attorney, so the login and password are considered the attorney’s “electronic signature”.  You may indicate that the document is signed by the attorney using a conformed signature in place of a scan.

Additionally, Civil L.R. 5.1 states that any document which is signed by someone other than the attorney who e-files it does not need to be scanned. You may use a conformed signature as long as the e-filing attorney includes the signature attestation. 

A conformed signature is used to indicate that a “real” signature is in place of an original.

Simply have a signature block of the form:


/S/ (name of person who signed the document)

EXAMPLE 1:

 /S/  John Doe

OR

EXAMPLE 2:

 /S/ 
John Doe

A signature attestation is required to state that the e-filing attorney has the original signatures on-file for any signatures which are not imaged, but indicated only with a conformed signature within an e-filing.

This attestation is required if any signature is indicated only with a conformed signature, even for other attorneys within the same firm (registered for ECF or not).

This attestation is NOT required:

  1. For the e-filing attorney’s own signature
  2. When signatures are scanned into the main e-filed document
  3. When signatures are attached as a scanned “signature page exhibit” to the e-filed document

The attestation may be incorporated anywhere within the body of the document, or in a separate document which is attached (like an exhibit) to the e-filing.

EXAMPLE:
“I hereby attest that I have on file all holographic signatures corresponding to any signatures indicated by a conformed signature (/S/) within this e-filed document.”

The original with the holograph (ink) signature should be kept by the filing attorney for subsequent production for the court, if so ordered, or for inspection upon request by a party until one year after final resolution of the action (including appeal, if any).

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