The Ohio Supreme Court’s e-Filing Portal is now open to all Ohio lawyers and those registered for pro hac vice status.

The Ohio Supreme Court’s e-Filing Portal is now open to all Ohio lawyers and those registered for pro hac vice status.

After a nearly three-month pilot program, the Ohio Supreme Court e-Filing Portal is now open to all registered Ohio attorneys and those registered for pro hac vice status.

“The feedback during the pilot program has been positive,” Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor said. “We have an extremely intuitive system in place that is now available to all attorneys.”

Cleveland Assistant Director of Law Linda Bickerstaff was among the nearly 200 lawyers who signed up for the electronic filing system pilot.

“The ability to file electronically with the Supreme Court gives me equal footing with opposing counsel that may be in the Columbus area, because I previously had to complete my work days ahead of the deadline just to be sure it would be received on time,” Bickerstaff said.

She was able to add documents to existing cases from the computer in her office in Cleveland.

Paul Flowers of Paul W. Flowers Co. L.P.A. in Cleveland also likes the convenience of having the e-Filing portal available and the cost benefit of no longer copying and binding filings.

“We have been using the federal filing system for about 20 years, and the Supreme Court’s system was well worth the wait,” Flowers said. “The system is extremely simple and straightforward. With the limited number of options you can select, it eliminates a lot of confusion over how the filing should be submitted.”

There are several guidelines for e-filing, including:

• Filing documents does not alter deadlines imposed by the Rules of Practice of the Supreme Court of Ohio. Documents received after 5 p.m. Eastern Time through the e-Filing Portal will not be considered for filing until the next business day.
• When filing documents electronically, allow sufficient time to set up account credentials and become familiar with the e-Filing Portal.
• Items received through the portal will be reviewed in the order in which they are received by the Clerk’s Office. Due to high volume, review of documents for compliance with the Rules of Practice can take up to one business day.
• Use of the e-Filing portal does not alter the filer’s obligation to serve the other parties to the case.

The e-Filing landing page on the Supreme Court website offers a video tutorial, a user guide, and other helpful information and links. The e-Filing Help Desk at 614.387.9980 can assist with any questions or concerns.