United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

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After-Hours and Emergency Filings

Emergency Filings by Counsel

Please refer to the Electronic Filing Procedures for instructions on how to file an emergency motion or petition in CM/ECF.  Counsel should advise the Clerk’s Office as soon as possible about the following emergency items:

  • Filing (or anticipated filing) of an emergency motion for stay or injunction under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 8 or 18;
  • Filing (or anticipated filing) of an emergency writ of mandamus under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 21; and
  • Erroneous filing of confidential or sealed materials in CM/ECF.

On weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Eastern), please call the Clerk’s Office at 202-275-8000 or submit a request and provide the following information:

  • Counsel’s contact information;
  • When the document will be filed;
  • Case information (Federal Circuit case number or lower court/agency information); and
  • Brief description of the emergency request.

After-Hours Emergencies

A member of the Clerk’s Office can be reached after-hours from 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Eastern) on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Eastern) on holidays and weekends at 202-275-8049 or by submitting a request.  Please have the above information available before contacting the Clerk’s Office.

Only the following items constitute an after-hours emergency: (1) an emergency motion or petition must be filed before the court is next open, (2) counsel has erroneously filed confidential materials, or (3) counsel is scheduled for a hearing the next business day and must advise the court of an issue impacting counsel’s ability to appear as scheduled (e.g., illness).

Counsel should not contact the Clerk’s Office after-hours to expedite newly-submitted filing registrations or admissions to the bar.  Filers experiencing individualized technical or system errors on their end outside of Clerk’s Office operating hours should follow the requirements of Federal Circuit Rule 25(c)(1)(C) for filing a motion for leave to file out of time in lieu of contacting the Clerk’s Office emergency line.

Non-emergency items and calls received after hours will be addressed when the Clerk’s Office next opens to the public.