Rule 10-I - Pleadings: Stationery and Locational Information(a) STATIONERY; TITLE; RELIEF PRAYED. Pleadings and like papers must be on opaque white paper, approximately 11 inches long and 8 1/2 inches wide, without back or cover, fastened at the top and stating under the caption the nature of the pleading and the relief, if any, prayed.(b) LOCATIONAL INFORMATION: PLEADINGS AND OTHER PAPERS. (1)In General. The first pleading filed by or on behalf of a party must set forth in the caption the party's name, full residence address, and unless the party is represented by counsel, the party's telephone number and email address if any. All subsequent pleadings and other papers filed by or on behalf of a party must set forth the party's name, full residence address, and telephone number and email address if any, unless that party is represented by counsel. If a party is represented by counsel, all pleadings or other papers must set forth the name, office address, telephone number, email address, and Bar number of the attorney. The names, addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers so shown will be conclusively deemed to be correct and current. It is the obligation of the attorney or unrepresented party whose address, email address, or telephone number has been changed to give immediate notice to the appropriate branch or office within the Civil Division and all other attorneys and unrepresented parties named in the case of this change. Attorneys must include their Bar number in all such notices. Should a party incur expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, due to the failure of any other party, or that party's attorney, to give prompt notice of a change of address, email address, or telephone number, the court, upon motion or upon its own initiative, may order the party failing to give notice to reimburse the other party for expenses incurred.(2)Substitute Address. A party is not required to state the party's residence address if: (A) the party is a participant in the District of Columbia's Address Confidentiality Program (D.C. Code §§ 4-555.01 to -.12 (2019 Repl. & 2020 Supp.)) or has a reasonable basis to fear harassment or harm to the party or the party's family if the party's residence address is disclosed; and(B) the party substitutes the address of the party's attorney or other agent authorized to accept service copies for the party.(3)Confidential Address. If no substitute address is available, a party may file a motion asking the court to treat the party's address as confidential and to designate the clerk as an agent authorized to accept service copies for the party. If the court grants the motion, the clerk must accept service copies for the party and must immediately send the service copies, by first-class mail, to the party's confidential address.(c) NONCONFORMANCE WITH ABOVE. A pleading or other paper not conforming to the requirements of this rule will not be accepted for filing.Amended by Order dated July 20, 2021, effective 8/23/2021; amended by Order dated June 24, 2022, effective 6/24/2022.COMMENT TO 2022 AMENDMENT
New subsection (b)(3) addresses technical and functional changes necessary to implement the court's new case management system.
COMMENT TO AUGUST 2021 AMENDMENTS
Section (b) was moved to subsection (b)(1). Subsection (b)(2) was added to permit a party to use a substitute address consistent with the District of Columbia's Address Confidentiality Program (D.C. Code §§ 4-555.01 to -.12 (2019 Repl. & 2020 Supp.)).
COMMENT TO APRIL 2021 AMENDMENTS
Section (b) was amended, consistent with Rule 11(a), to require self-represented parties to provide their email addresses.
COMMENT TO 2017 AMENDMENTS
Stylistic changes were made to this rule to conform with the 2007 amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.