Frequently Asked Questions
What is a nature of suit code?
A nature of suit code is a tool for categorizing the types of cases filed in the federal courts. This code is the basis of all federal caseload statistics produced by the federal Judiciary. Review a list of nature of suit codes (pdf).
You might also be interested in...
The notice of electronic filing (NEF for district and bankruptcy courts) or notice of docket activity (NDA for appellate courts) that is emailed to the registered parties in the case, lists the parties and their preferred method of receiving the notice.
An attorney must be admitted to practice in a specific court and registered to e-file with that same court in order to file court documents electronically and to receive email notices of documents that are filed.
For district and bankruptcy courts:
Each district/bankruptcy court has its own requirements and procedures for registering. Visit the court's website for more information.
For appellate courts:
Register to become an e-filer in appellate courts and bankruptcy appellate panels. Check the court rules to find out who is permitted. Learn more about the registration procedures.
All attorneys must register for PACER in addition to requesting e-filing privileges in order to fully use the NextGen CM/ECF system.
Find out if your court has transitioned to NextGen.
All courts using electronic filing treat the use of an attorney’s unique system login and password as a signature. Most courts require that attorneys retain copies of certain paper documents, such as affidavits or bankruptcy petitions, containing original signatures of third parties, for a set period of time. These procedures are managed by each individual court through a local court rule or order.
If you have two PACER accounts, upgrade your private account. Contact the PACER Service Center by email to move your existing exempt privileges. PSC staff will provide access instructions by email. Once this happens, your “CJA” PACER account will be deactivated.