The Judiciary's Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system is the means by which judges, court staff, attorneys, and other public users electronically file, review, and download case information. The system is fully implemented in all federal courts.

The Judiciary is transitioning to a Next Generation of CM/ECF (NextGen). It was first released to a group of pilot courts in 2014 and a full transition is expected over several years. The first release includes new sign-on functionality which gives users access to both PACER and electronic filing, for all NextGen courts in which the user is authorized to file electronically, from a single account.

NextGen Goals

• Greater integration among the district, bankruptcy, and appellate systems.
• Shared data with other Judiciary electronics systems
• More streamlined processes
• Greater consistency in user experience, especially for external users
• Greater efficiency by using new tools and technology

GAMD NextGen Implementation

On May 3, 2019, at noon, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia will begin upgrading its Case Management/Electronic Case Filing System (CM/ECF) to the Next Generation of CM/ECF (NextGen). This upgrade will provide users with several benefits, including Central Sign-on, the ability for e-filing attorneys to access any NextGen court within which they practice using one login and password.

The Georgia Middle District Court plans to complete the upgrade to NextGen by May 6, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. Please plan for the system to be unavailable for electronic filing from Friday, May 3, 2019 at noon thru Monday May 6, 2019 at 8:30 a.m.

Central Sign-On allows all CM/ECF users to maintain one account across all NextGen courts (appellate, district, and bankruptcy) and to sign in one time to access all the courts in which they have permission to e-file. Each user is identified with the appropriate level of access in each court. The PACER Service Center supports outside user requests for attorney admissions and e-filing recognition for various courts. Courts continue to be responsible for admitting attorneys and assigning e-filing permissions to users.

In order to prepare for NextGen, you must complete a few preliminary steps. Your PACER Account will be your login (entry point for both PACER and CM/ECF). Therefore, you must have access to an individual PACER Account.

Step One: Obtain your own PACER account

Obtain your own individual PACER account, if you do not already have one.

  Register for a new PACER account by clicking here.

For consolidated billing and online account management, which excludes viewing and filing, firms or offices may consider using a PACER Administrative Account (PAA). 

  More Information on PACER Administrative Accounts

For assistance with creating a PACER account, please contact PACER at 1-800-676-6856 or visit the PACER website

Step Two: Note your upgraded PACER username and password

If you have your own individual PACER account and it was created prior to August 11, 2014 (also known as a Legacy account), you must upgrade your account before you can electronically file in a NextGen court.

  Please see the learning module here on upgrading your PACER account.

CJA Attorneys should follow the instructions below

  NextGen Procedure for CJA Attorneys

Step Three: Link your PACER and CM/ECF Accounts

You must link your upgraded PACER account to your GAMD NextGen CM/ECF account. Users will NOT be able to file in NextGen until their CM/ECF account is linked to their upgraded individual PACER account.  Please see the link below for detailed instructions.

  Linking your PACER and GAMD CM/ECF accounts

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I have an upgraded PACER account?
Attorneys can determine if their account is upgraded or not by logging in to PACER. If they click Manage Your Account, and look next to Account Type, it will indicate if the account is “Legacy” or “Upgraded”. Upgraded PACER accounts have usernames that are at least 8 characters. You may have upgraded your PACER account recently if you practice before another court that already has migrated to NextGen, such as the Eleventh Circuit.  If your username is 6 characters, you do not have an upgraded account. Go to https://pacer.uscourts.gov/ and click on Manage My Account to upgrade your PACER account.

What happens to my CM/ECF account after the court transitions to NextGen?
After the Court upgrades to NextGen, you will link your current CM/ECF account to your PACER account. After the accounts are linked, you will no longer use your CM/ECF username or password to file in this Court.

My law firm uses a shared PACER account. Can we continue to use that account?
Not for e-filing. Each attorney must have an individual PACER account to use for electronic filing in NextGen. The law firm can create a PACER Administrative Account (PAA) to manage the billing for all of the individual accounts. Staff members who share a PACER account for read-only access may continue to share an account.

I linked my account when the Court of Appeals or another District or Bankruptcy Court converted.  Do I have to link my account again?
Yes, once the Court is live on NextGen, you must link your PACER account to your Middle District of Georgia District Court CM/ECF account before you can file in this Court.

I am a CJA attorney, and I currently have two PACER accounts. Will I continue to need two accounts with NextGen?
CJA Attorneys will only need one PACER account for filing and viewing in CM/ECF NextGen. If you have a separate exempt CJA account now, those exempt privileges will be added to your individual upgraded PACER account; and your current exempt account will be canceled.  Click here for instructions and more information on CJA accounts.