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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). 

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Look for a few of these common problems:

  • If you have a legacy PACER account, your username should be entered in lowercase letters followed by four numbers. If you have an upgraded PACER account, enter the username you selected that is 8 or more characters long.
  • Make sure the proper username and password are being used for the proper database. If you have a legacy PACER account: PACER login for querying documents and CM/ECF login for filing.
  • Confirm you are using the live database. The training database is located at: https://ecf-train.COURT.uscourts.gov, while the live database is at: https://ecf.COURT.uscourts.gov (without the train), where COURT is the code for the particular court. Typically, appellate courts do not have training databases.
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Only the attorney of record in certain types of cases (e.g., social security, immigration) may view PDF documents remotely.

In district courts, you should be able to view all criminal documents through the notice of electronic filing (NEF), except those under seal. In addition, most criminal case documents filed in district court prior to November 1, 2004, may be viewed only by the attorney of record.

The clerk's office reviews attorney filings as part of its quality control procedures. If the deputy clerk finds an error or needs to modify the docket text for the event and the filing, the deputy may make the changes and send a new NDA to the case participants. If you receive a second NDA for a filing and cannot determine the reason for the second notice, please call the office of the clerk from which the notice was sent.

Your document may change depending on the font type, font size, printer, and other layout parameters in your original file.

You can go to adobe.com for some troubleshooting tips. If the issue is with your printer, try setting your PDF printer as the default printer before opening the document. Then open the document and edit it to correct any formatting issues. Save the document and convert it to a PDF again.