SDNY ANNOUNCES A NEW EDITION OF ELECTRONIC CASE FILING RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS

NOTICE TO THE BAR 
CONTACT: Clerk of Court, 212-805-0136

SDNY ANNOUNCES A NEW EDITION OF ELECTRONIC CASE FILING RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS

On August 1, 2013, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York will issue a new edition of the court’s Electronic Case Filing (ECF) Rules & Instructions. Updates include: 
        
Electronic Letters 
Effective September 3, 2013, letters addressed to judges who accept letters, including certain letter motions, may be filed electronically unless the assigned judge’s Individual Practices provide otherwise. Letters solely between counsel may not be filed electronically. More information and a schedule of in-person demonstrations are available at www.nysd.uscourts.gov/ecf
        
Service in Pro Se Cases 
The Clerk’s Office will scan filings from pro se parties and add them to the ECF system. Effective July 19, 2013, the Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) sent in conjunction with such filings will constitute service upon all other Filing Users (one who has permission to file electronically) and Receiving Users (one who has registered to receive notice from the court by electronic mail).   
        
Obligation to View PDF Documents 
New Rule 4.3, effective July 19, 2013, describes the parties’ obligation to view PDF documents in addition to the summary docket text. If a discrepancy occurs between the two, the language in the PDF document will control. 

Case Caption Requirements 
A case caption no longer has to include an indication that it is an “ECF Case.” Please visit the court’s website at http://nysd.uscourts.gov/ecf_filing.php to view the new ECF Rules, online ECF training materials, and a schedule of in-person demonstrations of the electronic filing of letters and letter motions. 

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NAPABA CELEBRATES CONFIRMATION OF RAYMOND T. CHEN TO THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400 
Washington, DC 20006


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
August 1, 2013

Contact: Emily Chatterjee 
(202) 775-9555

NAPABA CELEBRATES CONFIRMATION OF RAYMOND T. CHEN TO THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT

President Obama Doubles the Number of Asian Pacific American 
Circuit Court Judges in History

WASHINGTON—Today, the Senate confirmed Raymond T. Chen to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit by a unanimous vote. He is the first Asian Pacific American to serve on the court since Judge Shiro Kashiwa retired from the Federal Circuit in 1986.

“NAPABA celebrates Ray Chen’s nomination to the Federal Circuit, which we are proud to have supported,” said Wendy Shiba, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “He has superb credentials to serve on this court, and we commend President Obama for nominating him. NAPABA also thanks Senator Mazie Hirono for her support of his nomination in the Senate.”

Since 2008, Chen has served as the Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property Law and Solicitor at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He began his tenure at the office in 1998 as an Associate Solicitor. During his time there, he has received numerous awards for his service, including: the Gold Medal Award, U.S. Department of Commerce (2011); the Bronze Medal Award, U.S. Department of Commerce (2005); and Attorney of the Year, Office of the Solicitor. Chen previously worked as a technical assistant at the Federal Circuit from 1996 to 1998. Prior to government service, Chen worked as an associate at the law firm Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear from 1994 to 1996 and as a scientist at Hecker & Harriman (now Hecker Law Group) in Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the New York University School of Law and the University of California, Los Angeles.

With Chen’s confirmation, President Obama has doubled the number of Asian Pacific American circuit court judges in our nation’s history. Despite the tremendous progress made during the Obama Administration, however, Asian Pacific Americans continue to be significantly underrepresented in the federal judiciary. Only four out of over 180 federal appellate court judges in the entire nation are held by individuals with Asian Pacific American heritage. NAPABA salutes President Obama for his continued commitment to nominating well-qualified, diverse nominees to the federal judiciary.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and 66 state and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of color in the legal profession.

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Special Offer for Asian American Bar Association-NY Members–Get NYCLA Member Rate 

Attorneys’ Guide to Civil Practice in the New York County Supreme Court–Print and eBook Available

An essential tool for civil practice in Manhattan, the Attorneys’ Guide, produced by NYCLA’s Supreme Court Committee, provides important information practitioners need to know in order to master the complexities of the New York County Supreme Court in a painless but effective way. 

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*The eReader versions of this publication can be accessed using either an eReader or eReader app such as Nook (which is Barnes & Noble’s format) or Kindle (which is Amazon’s format). These apps are readily available through the app store for most mobile devices including tablets and phones. eReader versions of this publication cannot be opened using any other software, including but not limited to Good Reader or Adobe. We do not offer this publication in PDF format. Please email Natalie Wimbush at[email protected] for assistance obtaining the eBook format you need.

Highlights include:
• Comprehensive listing of locations and phone number of all Justices, offices, and Office of the County Clerk along with descriptions of each back office and roles
• Recent developments that will directly affect practitioners
• Court’s approach to preliminary conferences and other conferences
• Differentiated Case Management and the discovery process, pre-trial proceedings, Mediation I and II, and other ADR projects
• Key litigation-related functions of the County Clerk’s Office
• Extensive biographical information about and photographs of Justices
• New Chapters on References and Article 81 cases.