US · rules
E.D. Ark. Local Rule 5.5
Pleadings and Filings
(a) The original of all pleadings, motions, and other papers, together with two copies thereof, shall
be filed with the Clerk. All pleadings, motions, and other papers shall be typewritten, photocopied,
mimeographed, or printed in type not less than elite, in double space, letter size, using only one side
of the page, and shall be filed by the Clerk unfolded and without manuscript covers. Attorneys
shall take notice of case numbers assigned to each case and shall note such numbers upon all
pleadings, orders, and judgments.
(b) Pleadings, motions, and other papers are to be filed as follows:
(1) In the Eastern District, the Clerk maintains staffed offices at Little Rock, Pine Bluff, and
Jonesboro. In the Western District, the Clerk maintains offices at Fort Smith, Fayetteville,
El Dorado, Texarkana, and Hot Springs. In civil matters, pleadings, motions, and other
papers should be filed in the office of the Clerk designated in Local Rule 77.1 for the
Division in which the case is pending, but when a Clerk is unavailable, they may be filed in
any office of the Clerk in the appropriate district.
(2) Criminal matters in the Eastern District. All pleadings, motions, and other papers in all
criminal matters are to be filed in Little Rock.
(3) Criminal matters in the Western District. All pleadings, motions and other papers in
criminal matters in the Harrison Division shall be filed in Fayetteville. Otherwise, all
pleadings, motions, and other papers in criminal matters for a particular division are to be
filed in that division.
(c) (1) Parties represented by counsel. Every pleading, motion, or other paper (except a pro se
motion to discharge an attorney) filed in behalf of a party represented by counsel shall be
signed by at least one attorney of record in his or her individual name, and the attorney's
address, zip code, and telephone number, and Arkansas Supreme Court identification
number, or other Supreme Court identification number, if applicable, shall be stated. It is
the duty of each attorney to promptly notify the Clerk and the other parties to the proceedings
of any change in his or her address.
(2) Parties appearing pro se. It is the duty of any party not represented by counsel to promptly
notify the Clerk and the other parties to the proceedings of any change in his or her address,
to monitor the progress of the case, and to prosecute or defend the action diligently. A
party appearing for himself/herself shall sign his/her pleadings and state his/her address,
zip code, and telephone number. If any communication from the Court to a pro se plaintiff
is not responded to within thirty (30) days, the case may be dismissed without prejudice.
Any party proceeding pro se shall be expected to be familiar with and follow the Federal
Rules of Civil Procedure.
(d) At the time of filing a civil action, the plaintiff shall complete and submit a cover sheet statement
on Federal Form No. JS44.
(e) A party who moves to amend a pleading shall attach a copy of the amendment to the motion. The
motion must contain a concise statement setting out what exactly is being amended in the new
pleading – e.g. added defendant X, adding a claim for X, corrected spelling. Any amendment
to a pleading, whether filed as a matter of course or upon a motion to amend, must, except by
leave of Court, reproduce the entire pleading as amended, and may not incorporate any prior
pleading by reference. The party amending shall file the original of the amended pleading within
seven (7) days of the entry of the order granting leave to amend unless otherwise ordered by
the Court. The requirements for amending pleadings set forth in this subsection of Rule 5.5
shall not apply to parties proceeding pro se.
Proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law, trial briefs, and proposed jury instructions shall
be submitted to the judge to whom the case is assigned, with copies served upon all other parties.
(a)(b) and (d) Adopted and effective May 1, 1980
(c) Adopted and effective March 14, 1984
(e) Adopted and effective July 16, 1980
(f) through (j) Adopted and effective June 26, 1981
(g) Amended October 27, 1986 Amended July 1, 1988
History
Amended January 2, 1990 Amended and effective December 1, 2000 Amended and effective April 30, 2007 Amended and effective September 20, 2007 Amended November 10, 2009
Provenance
- Source
- www.are.uscourts.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-18
- Edition
- fed-district-2026-09-19
- Content hash
51214c0bfffdb7adecadc8d2a7eb9db1b3cedf816d68acee441ba371a8a5858a
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