New Rule Brings Electronic Filing to Tennessee Appellate Process

The long-awaited electronic filing process for Tennessee’s state appellate courts has inched one step closer to reality. A transitional rule from the Tennessee Supreme Court which went into effect July 9, 2018 establishes a voluntary filing process until the Court adopts e-filing on a permanent basis.  Here are some highlights of the new system:

• Tennessee attorneys must first register with the appellate court clerk for access to the system, and registration constitutes consent for e-service of any filed documents.
• With a few exceptions listed in the Rule, a registered user may e-file any document that would otherwise be filed on paper under the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure, the Rules of the Tennessee Court of Appeals, and the Rules of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals.
• The courts may elect to distribute orders, opinions, judgments, and other documents through the system.
• As long as a document is filed by 11:59 pm (in the time zone of the assigned Grand Division), it will be timely filed.
• Maximum word counts for briefs apply, and formatting requirements (such as font, size, and pagination) will be enforced.

Read more about the new process in Chapter 4 of the Tennessee handbook on appellate practice, published by the Nashville Bar Association and edited by DPBC’s Donald Capparella and Candi Henry.