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...
In general, an associated case is a case the court has identified as related to another case. Typically, these cases may involve the same, similar, or related issues of law. If applicable, associated case(s) will appear in the Applied Case Selection box on the File a Document screen. A filing may be submitted in all or some of the associated cases listed. If all associated case(s) are deselected, the filing is only submitted to the lead case. Tip: When submitting a filing, the case(s) to which the filing applies is displayed on the filing screens.
CM/ECF, which stands for Case Management/Electronic Case Files system, allows courts to maintain electronic case files and offer electronic filing online, making all case information immediately available.
CM/ECF allows:
- Registered filers to file documents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Attorneys, filers, and organizations to reduce their paper, photocopies, postage, and courier costs.
- Immediate access to full case information for attorneys, parties, and general public.
A court will post a notice of routine or emergency maintenance on the court's website if CM/ECF is ever unavailable.
The Cases Report displays summary data for a range of cases. It can be used to produce a list of open or closed cases between a date range.
The Cases Report can be found under the Reports menu option in CM/ECF. The report is NOT subject to the 30-page limit on PACER charges, so users should use caution when running the report. There are a number of filtering options you can set before running a report to help limit the results.
If you are currently registered to file electronically in a federal court that has announced it will convert to NextGen CM/ECF, you will first need an upgraded PACER account.
Follow the steps on the "Get Ready for NextGen CM/ECF" page to upgrade your account.
Register for a new PACER account if you do not have an account.