Vt. Memo to the Bar, Apr. 7, 2025

SUPREME COURT OF VERMONT

OFFICE OF THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR

THERESE CORSONES, ESQ. Mailing Address

State Court Administrator Office of the Court Administrator

Therese.Corsones@vtcourts.gov 109 State Street

Montpelier, VT 05609-0701

Telephone (802) 828-3278

FAX: 802 828-3457

www.vermontjudiciary.org

TO: Members of the Vermont Bar

FROM: Teri Corsones, Esq., State Court Administrator

RE: Promulgated and Proposed Rules, Attorney License Renewal Period Approaching, eFile

and Serve and Public Portal Information, Filing of Exhibits & Other Miscellaneous Info

DATE: April 7, 2025

For your information, please find:

• Promulgation Order Amending Rule 30(b) and (e) of the Vermont Rules of Appellate

Procedure

• Proposed Order Amending Rule 9(d) of the 2020 Vermont Rules for Electronic Filing

• Attorney License Renewal Period Approaching

• eFile & Serve and Public Portal Information

• Filing of Exhibits for Evidentiary Hearing

• Miscellaneous

I. PROMULGATED RULE AMENDMENTS

Promulgation Order Amending Rule 30(b) and (e) of the Vermont Rules of Appellate Procedure

https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/PROMULGATED--VRAP30(b)and(e)--STAMPED

This Order was promulgated on April 7, 2025, effective July 1, 2025.

The amendment adds Rule 30(e) to state the filing deadlines for a required printed case and any

optional printed case. These deadlines were inadvertently omitted when the requirement of a

printed case was reinstated in 2024. Rule 30(e) provides that the appellant must file a required

printed case, or any optional printed case, when the appellant’s principal brief is filed. The

deadline for an appellee to file any supplemental printed case, formerly in subdivision (b), is

unchanged and is now in subdivision (e). Former subdivision (e), relating to costs of production is

relabeled as (f).

II. PROPOSED RULE AMENDMENTS

(NOTE: THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN PROPOSED AND HAVE NOT BEEN

APPROVED BY THE SUPREME COURT.)

Proposed Order Amending Rule 9(d) of the 2020 Vermont Rules for Electronic Filing

https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/PROPOSED-VREF9(d)--FORCOMMENT

The proposed amendments to Rule 9(d)(1), (d)(1)(B), and (d)(2) are to align the rule language

more closely with current practice. The rule currently allows electronic signatures to be used on

“court-generated” documents. In reality, courts and court personnel may electronically sign

documents that are not generated by the court. For example, parties may file proposed orders.

Comments on this proposed amendment should be sent by June 4, 2025, to Hon. John A. Dooley

(Ret.), Chair of the Advisory Committee on the Rules for Electronic Filing, at the following address:

Honorable John A. Dooley, (Ret.), Chair

John.Dooley@vtcourts.gov

III. ATTORNEY LICENSE RENEWAL PERIOD APPROACHING

This is a reminder for attorneys due to renew their law license this year. Renewals must be done

through the Attorney Portal, which will open for renewals on Thursday, May 1. (For help using the

Portal, please see the Attorney Portal User Guide.) The deadline for renewing is July 1. Attorneys

wishing to change their licensing status for the 2025-2027 reporting period will be able to do so

via the renewal process. If you wish to relinquish your license rather than renew, you can eFile this

form at any time prior to the July 1 deadline.

Attorneys can check this list to see if they need to renew this year:

https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/sites/default/files/documents/AttorneyGoodStanding_43.pdf

IV. eFILE & SERVE AND PUBLIC PORTAL INFORMATION

eFile and Serve has provided information for court users who are not receiving email notifications

and who question whether their email addresses have mistakenly been placed on a “Suppression

List.” Here’s a link to information in that regard Why was my email placed on the Suppression List?

– eFile (zendesk.com). Here’s another link for court users who wish to have their email addresses

“Safelisted” to ensure proper delivery https://odysseyfileandserve.zendesk.com/hc/en-

us/articles/360046887411.

All Superior Courts, including the Environmental Division, the Judicial Bureau, and the Supreme

Court use eFile and Serve. Please use the following links to access the electronic filing and portal

systems and for more information.

Reminders for eFile Users:

1) PDFs must be “flattened” prior to efiling through eFile and Serve

With the increased use in electronic signature tools, it is important for eFile filers to

remember that all PDFs must be flattened prior to filing in eFile. In order to eFile a form-

fillable PDF or a PDF that has been electronically signed, you must first save them as a flat

file. Otherwise, the filing will fail and you will need to refile.

Follow the steps below to "flatten" a completed PDF:

1. Open the completed PDF.

2. Right click on document and select Print. NOTE: if document opens in Adobe, Select

File and select Print.

3. Select the PDF printer. (The Adobe PDF printer is installed automatically with Adobe

Acrobat. Numerous free PDF printer

drivers are available for download from the Internet.)

4. Select OK.

5. Specify location to save the printed, "flattened" version of the form.

6. Select Save

2) Attorneys must select the party they represent as the “person responsible for fees” in the

Fee section of the filing process. Additionally, when the attorney represents more than one

party, attorneys should continue to select the same party as the “person responsible for

fees”; otherwise, the attorney will incur an additional efiling use fee.

eFile & Serve. eFile and Serve is the platform through which you electronically file with the courts.

To access eFile, please visit https://vermont.tylertech.cloud/OfsWeb/Home

You can access user guides through the “User Guides” link in the “Self Help” window. You can also

access docket-specific user guides and a new Frequently Asked Questions on the judiciary’s

website at www.vermontjudiciary.org/efiling

For technical support regarding eFile, please contact Tyler Technologies at 800-297-5377 or

efiling.support@tylertech.com

If you have procedural questions about eFile, please email the judiciary at

EFileSupport@vtcourts.gov

Odyssey Public Portal. The Odyssey Public Portal allows you to view your case files. To access the

portal, please visit https://portal.vtcourts.gov/Portal Before you can view your case files, you

must first register in the portal and then request elevated access. The Public Portal User Guide

contains instructions on how to register and request elevated access. You can read the user guide

on our website at https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/about-vermont-judiciary/public-portal

For technical support regarding the Public Portal, please contact the Vermont Judiciary’s HelpDesk

at itsupport@vtcourts.gov When emailing, please write “Public Portal” in the subject line.

V. FILING OF EXHIBITS FOR EVIDENTIARY HEARING

Per the 2020 Vermont Rules for Electronic Filing, all electronically filed documents (including

exhibit lists and exhibits) must be submitted in PDF format. The Vermont Judiciary’s website

provides detailed instructions on how to submit exhibits for use at trials and other kinds of

evidentiary hearings. https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/FilersGuidetoExhibitsforHearings

VI. MISCELLANEOUS

a. Court Forms

Court forms are constantly being updated. Please refer to the judiciary website for the most up-to-date forms, https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/court-forms

Please use the link below to report any form question, concern or issue

http://www.vermontjudiciary.org/website-feedback-form or you can access our Website

Feedback program at the bottom of each web page.

b. Obligation under A.O. 41

Attorneys are reminded that an “attorney must report to the State Court Administrator within

thirty days any change of the office mailing or electronic mail address” and that “[n]otice sent to a

reported address is sufficient even if not received by the attorney because of failure to report the

proper address or failure of delivery not caused by the court.” A.O. 41, § 4(c). To update changes in

your contact information, please access your attorney account with the Attorney Portal

c. Receipt of Court Notices and Orders (eCabinet)

The Vermont courts send all court-issued documents (hearing notices, orders, etc.) to attorneys

by email using the email addresses registered in a system called eCabinet. Attorneys may register

up to three email addresses in the system and are responsible for keeping the information

updated. The email address(es) registered in eCabinet are not used for service of documents filed

by opposing parties, which is done through service contacts in Odyssey File & Serve.

To create an eCabinet account or update an existing account, attorneys must contact the

Judiciary helpdesk through one of the methods listed below. Please include your attorney bar

license number in your communication.

• Email itsupport@vtcourts.gov

• Telephone the Judiciary helpdesk at 802-828-4357

• Use the online form eCabinet Registration/Update (cognitoforms.com)

Updating information in the Attorney Portal or in eCabinet does not automatically notify the

other. It is your responsibility to update both. If you are a member of the Vermont Bar

Association, you will also need to separately notify the VBA.