Introduction

Whenever a party files (or submits to be filed through the pro se online portal) sealed filings on the docket in PDF format, this standing order requires the party to upload the PDF of the filings to a secure Box.com folder assigned to Judge Chang. Because this order applies only to those filings that are filed on the docket, it does not apply to Highly Sensitive Documents that are not filed on the docket under Local Rule 5.8.1. (This digital courtesy-copy requirement is being implemented in light of the removal of direct access to sealed filings in CM/ECF, which in turn rendered unavailable the prior CM/ECF feature that allowed courts to readily view and download multiple sealed filings in a combined PDF.)

Electronic filing / OCR searchable text

The first step in providing a digital courtesy copy is to follow the instruction in the standing order on Motion Practice, repeated here, to create a searchable OCR filing. With regard to CM/ECF filing, for any word-processed filing (e.g., briefs and memoranda), counsel shall convert the document into a .pdf document by printing or publishing to .pdf, rather than manually scanning a paper copy into .pdf, in order to generate searchable optical character recognition (OCR) text. For any filing of any kind (including exhibits in support of a motion or any Local Rule 56.1 Statement), counsel must run an OCR conversion on it before uploading it onto CM/ECF. To do this in Adobe, go to Tools, Text Recognition, In This File, and select All Pages. If you see the message, “Acrobat could not perform recognition (OCR) on this page because this page contains renderable text,” click “Ignore future errors in this document,” and click OK.

Remember that when filing an entry on CM/ECF, parties generally may alter the text that appears on the docket so that it is more helpful to readers. For example, instead of an exhibit simply being labelled, “Exhibit 1,” the docket text can be edited to say, “Exhibit 1 – Declaration of Abraham Lincoln,” or “Exhibit 1 – Rental Agreement of 07/04/1776,” or whatever is fitting. At the same time, it would make sense to name the PDF file name the same words as the docket text. That would help also in the next step, when combining the PDFs for the digital courtesy copy.

Uploading the Digital Courtesy Copy to Box.com

To repeat, this digital courtesy-copy requirement only applies to sealed filings. After creating and filing the searchable PDF to the docket under seal, the party must use the Box.com link below to upload the sealed filing. Any PDFs of filings that are part of one overall docket entry must be combined into a single PDF with bookmarks to the start of the previously individual PDFs. For example, if R. 20 is a memorandum in support of a motion, and R. 20-1, 20-2, and 20-3 are three exhibits cited in the motion, then the party should upload a single PDF that combines R. 20, 20-1, 20-2, and 20-3. The Combine files feature in Adobe will automatically insert the bookmarks using the file names for each PDF when creating the single PDF.

Important: File-Naming Convention for the Digital Courtesy Copy

          When a party uploads the digital courtesy copy, the party must use the following file-naming convention. For civil cases, [4-digit case year]_C_[5-digit case number]_ [5-digit docket entry number]_[Case Name]. For example, 2025_C_00123_00032_Washington_v_Adams, is docket entry 32 for that case. Likewise, for criminal cases, the convention is [4-digit case year]_CR_[5-digit case number]_ [5-digit docket entry number]_[Case Name]. For ease of sorting, in both civil and criminal cases, you must use the prefix zeros for the case number and docket entry number.

          Any questions may be directed to the courtroom deputy, Michael Wing, at Michael_Wing@ilnd.uscourts.gov. But remember to copy the other side on emails send to the courtroom deputy. The digital courtesy copy MUST be filed on the same business day as the under-seal filing. 

The Box.com link

box.com_Digital Courtesy Copy - Sealed Filings for Judge Chang