The Western District of Washington’s local rules sit on top of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and govern how civil cases are actually filed, briefed, and litigated in the federal courthouses in Seattle and Tacoma. They control formatting down to the margins, dictate when motions are heard through a “noting” system that trips up out-of-district lawyers, require joint filings for discovery disputes, and interact with each judge’s individual chambers procedures. Get any layer wrong and the clerk or the judge can strike the filing.
What the Local Rules Cover
The court publishes three sets of local rules. The Local Civil Rules (LCR) govern non-criminal cases. The Local Criminal Rules (LCrR) govern federal prosecutions. A separate set of Local Patent Rules handles intellectual property litigation. The LCRs fill procedural gaps the federal rules leave open — timing, format, and choices the national rules delegate to individual districts.
Beyond the rulebook, the Chief Judge issues General Orders that carry the same force as the local rules themselves.1United States District Court. Local Rules and General Orders A General Order can shift filing requirements or deadlines on short notice without a formal amendment to the permanent rules, so the court’s website needs to be part of any pre-filing check.
Getting Admitted or Appearing Pro Hac Vice
Under LCR 83.1, only attorneys admitted to the court’s bar may file. Eligibility requires membership in good standing of the Washington State Bar, or membership in any state bar combined with employment by the United States or one of its agencies in a professional capacity.2United States District Court Western District of Washington. Local Civil Rules – LCR 83.1 The application asks for certificates from two members of the court’s bar who reside or maintain offices in the Western District, attesting to the applicant’s good moral character.
Attorneys outside the district who aren’t Washington State Bar members can appear case by case through pro hac vice admission. That means filing an application, showing a particular need to appear, and associating with local counsel already admitted here. Attorneys already admitted to this court who happen to live outside the district don’t need local counsel.2United States District Court Western District of Washington. Local Civil Rules – LCR 83.1
Formatting a Filing
LCR 10 sets formatting standards that the court enforces strictly. Pages are 8½ by 11 inches. Body text is at least 12-point in a proportionally spaced typeface, double-spaced or exactly 24 points. Footnotes may be single-spaced but must be at least 10-point.3United States District Court Western District of Washington. Local Civil Rules – LCR 10
Margins matter. The first page needs at least three inches of blank space at the top. All other margins must be at least one inch, though formatted line numbers, attorney information, and footers can extend into the margins. Every filing carries line numbers in the left margin, with at least half an inch of space to the left of those numbers.
The first page identifies the court as “United States District Court, Western District of Washington” and includes the docket number, a title showing the document’s purpose, and the presenting party. The bottom of each page carries an abbreviated title and case number on the left, and the law firm’s name, mailing address, and phone number on the right.4United States District Court, Western District of Washington. Form Requirements for Motions and Briefs Every filing is dated and signed under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11 and the court’s Electronic Filing Procedures.
Redacting Personal Information
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2 requires redaction of sensitive personal information from any filing, paper or electronic. Before you upload, strip out all but the last four digits of Social Security numbers, taxpayer identification numbers, and financial account numbers. Trim birth dates to the year only. Identify minors by initials rather than full names.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 5.2 – Privacy Protection For Filings Made with the Court
If the court needs the unredacted version, you can file it under seal alongside the redacted public version, or file a sealed reference list matching redacted identifiers to the real information. Filing your own personal information without redaction and without a seal waives the protection.
Electronic Filing, Signatures, and Deadlines
Everything filed in this court moves through Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF). To file, you need a PACER account and separately approved e-filing privileges for the Western District of Washington. Registration forms are on the court’s website, and the court must approve you as a filer before you can upload documents.6PACER. Register for an Account7PACER: Federal Court Records. Registration Frequently Asked Questions Pro se litigants follow a separate registration path and agree to the court’s electronic filing protocols.
Filing means logging into CM/ECF, choosing the event type (motion, response, declaration, and so on), and uploading searchable PDFs. When the upload finishes, the system generates a Notice of Electronic Filing that goes to all registered parties, which generally satisfies service. Parties not registered for e-filing must be served through traditional means.
The daily deadline is 11:59 PM Pacific Time. CM/ECF is available around the clock, and a document is filed when the system receives it.8United States District Court. CM/ECF FAQs Individual judges sometimes impose earlier cutoffs in their standing orders, so leaning on 11:59 without checking chambers procedures is risky.
Electronic signatures use the “/s/” convention: a typed name preceded by “s/” on the signature line. On documents needing multiple signatures, such as stipulated motions, the filer confirms every signer agreed to the content and holds either physical signatures or written permission to type each person’s “/s/.” Non-parties can’t use “/s/” and must provide scanned or other valid electronic signatures.9U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington. Electronic Filing Procedures for Civil and Criminal Cases
Opening a civil case takes a $405 filing fee, paid by credit card or electronic bank transfer at the time of filing.10United States District Court Western District of Washington. Schedule of Fees
Motion Noting Dates and Word Limits
This is where the Western District departs most sharply from what practitioners see elsewhere. Every motion is “noted” for consideration on a specific date, and the correct noting date depends on the type of motion. Miss the category and the motion can be struck. LCR 7(d) sets four tiers.11United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. Local Civil Rules – LCR 7
- Same-day motions are noted for the day filed. This tier covers stipulated motions, motions for reconsideration, motions for default, ex parte motions, and motions for a temporary restraining order.
- Second Friday motions include motions for relief from a deadline and motions for protective orders, noted no earlier than the second Friday after filing. Opposition is due the Wednesday before the noting date; replies are due on the noting date.
- Third Friday motions catch everything not otherwise assigned. Fourth Friday motions are the heavy ones: summary judgment, motions to dismiss, preliminary injunctions, class certification, and forum-changing motions like remand or transfer. For both, opposition is due the Monday before the noting date and replies are due on the noting date.
- Motions in limine are filed as a single consolidated motion, noted no earlier than the third Friday after filing but no later than the Friday before any scheduled pretrial conference. No reply is allowed without a showing of good cause.
Word limits under LCR 7(e) track the tiers. Same-day motions cap at 2,100 words (or six handwritten pages). Second Friday motions and their oppositions cap at 4,200 words (twelve pages), with replies at 2,100. The major dispositive motions — summary judgment, motions to dismiss, class certification, preliminary injunctions, TROs, and forum-change motions — get 8,400 words (twenty-four pages), with replies at 4,200. Motions in limine sit at 6,300 words (eighteen pages).12United States District Court Western District of Washington. Local Civil Rules – LCR 7(e) The court can return overlength filings or refuse to consider arguments past the limit.
Discovery Disputes
Discovery motions don’t follow the usual motion-and-response pattern. LCR 37 requires a joint submission: both sides’ positions on each disputed request in a single document. The moving party drafts the submission, setting out each disputed request, the opposing party’s objection, and the argument for compelling a response. The opposing party has seven days to insert a rebuttal under each argument. The moving party then has four days to add replies and file the completed joint submission.13United States District Court Western District of Washington. Local Civil Rules – LCR 37 Each reply is capped at 175 words per disputed request, and each side’s total contribution can’t exceed 4,200 words.
None of this reaches the court without a genuine meet-and-confer first. LCR 1 defines the meet-and-confer as a good-faith conference, preferably in person or by telephone, aimed at resolving the issue without court involvement.14United States District Court Western District of Washington. Local Civil Rules – LCR 1 A party that treats the conference as a formality can expect the court to notice.
Filing Under Seal
The court operates under a strong presumption of public access, so sealing is not automatic. LCR 5(g) requires a motion to seal first, before any document is filed under seal, unless the court has previously authorized it or the document falls within a specific exception in the local rules. Parties are expected to minimize both the number and length of sealed documents. A sealed electronic filing still has to be served on the other parties through traditional means, because CM/ECF doesn’t serve sealed materials. The system enforces the sequence: try to file a sealed document without a prior motion to seal or court order on the docket, and CM/ECF will block it.15U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington. Filing a Sealed Document or Motion in a Civil or Criminal Case
Alternative Dispute Resolution
LCR 39.1 sets up the court’s ADR program, and settlement is on the table from the outset. In the initial joint status report, parties tell the court whether they plan to use ADR, and if so, what type and when.16United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. Local Civil Rules – LCR 39.1 ADR is voluntary unless the court orders otherwise. When mediation is ordered, all attorneys must meet at least once, preferably in person, for a good-faith settlement negotiation no later than 30 days before the mediation conference. Mediators must be certified through the court’s program.17United States District Court. ADR Certification
Emergency Filings Outside Business Hours
When something needs a judge outside regular business hours (before 8 AM or after 5 PM Pacific on weekdays, and all day on weekends and holidays), the court runs a dedicated voicemail line at 206-370-8406. Leave the case number, the nature of the emergency, the document number, and your contact information. The message box is monitored around the clock, and a court representative will call back after reviewing the filing.18United States District Court. Emergency Filings If a system outage prevents electronic filing, the court will provide alternative submission instructions after receiving your voicemail. Call the line first; don’t wait for the system to come back up.
Individual Judge Procedures Override Everything Above
The local rules are only half the picture. Every judge publishes chambers procedures that can modify or supplement the LCRs. These cover how to schedule oral argument, courtesy copy requirements, specific cutoffs for dispositive motions (some judges enforce a 90-day rule), and formats for proposed jury instructions and deposition designations.19United States District Court. Judge Richard A. Jones Chambers Procedures They are posted under each judge’s page on the court’s website. Check them as soon as you know your assigned judge and check them again before any significant filing. A motion fully compliant with the local rules can still be rejected if it violates the assigned judge’s standing order on length, format, or timing.
If You Are Representing Yourself
Pro se litigants are held to the same local rules as attorneys. The court gives leeway on legal sophistication, not on procedural compliance. The court’s website offers a Representing Yourself section with forms and resources, and Legal Gateway’s Federal Civil Rights Clinic provides free consultations on federal constitutional claims. Pro se litigants in civil rights or employment discrimination cases can also apply for court-appointed pro bono counsel using the application in the “Forms for Pro Se Filers” section of the court’s website.20United States District Court. Representing Yourself (Pro Se)