HYPERLINKING

In the Federal Courts

What is hyperlinking?

The process of adding active links to websites, or documents stored on a website, to text.

Benefits of hyperlinkingProvides quick, easy, and pinpoint access to particular sections of a case, or to specific filings in the court’s record.

Allows judges and attorneys to quickly and correctly access:

• the relevant evidence being cited without having to navigate through the CM/ECF record; and

• the law being cited.

Allows judges and attorneys to quickly review text written at their direction or under their supervision.

What links can or should be added?Caveat: Check your local rules.

Generally permitted links:• CM/ECF filings;• Cited legal authorities; and • Documents posted on the court website, (e.g., local rules, general orders, taxable interest charts, etc).

Always provide the full and correct citation to the document being cited.

Never link to webpages as evidence in support of a motion unless citing to pages on the CM/ECF docket.

Adding hyperlinks – MS Word

Adding Hyperlinks -- WordPerfect

CM/ECF Filings

Links to documents previously filed of record.

4:12-cv-00230-JMG-CRZ Aurora Cooperative Elevator Company v. Aventine Renewable Energy - Aurora West, LLC

See, e.g.

url addresses: CM/ECF filings

Manual method

See, e.g.

url addresses: CM/ECF sub-filingsSee, e.g.

url addresses: CM/ECF page numbers

Add ?page=<page number> to the url address

Address links for attachments and exhibits to be filed with briefs and motionsSee, e.g.

Coming Soon!!

CM/ECF LinkBuilder software is being tested.

It will:• be free for download by attorneys and court users in every federal jurisdiction;

• search a document for all citations to CM/ECF;• create a listing of those citations; and • automatically add the hyperlinks to the document.

url addresses:Manual linking to legal citations

Adding the url address for any case or legal authority from Westlaw or Lexis.

• .

url addresses:Cases or rules posted on a court website

Automated Linking to Legal Citations

Westlaw InsertLinks

Pros:• Current and up-to-date; and • Very accurate.

Cons:• It is not free;• It is not flawless; and • It does not work with WordPerfect X6.

Shepard’s Links 2008

Pros:• Free

Cons:• It does not work with WordPerfect X4 – X6• It does not work with Word 2007-2010• It is not very reliable—particularly with newer citations.

Automated Linking to Legal Citations

Automated Linking to Legal Citations

Lexis for Microsoft Office

Pro:

• Current, up-to-date software

Cons:• It is not free;• It does not work with WordPerfect; and • Most importantly, the links it adds are not retained upon conversion to PDF.

Saving to PDF

To retain active links:

Save to PDF or Publish to PDF using your Word Processing program.

DO NOT convert using Print to PDF or by copying and scanning the document.

Examples:Creating CM/ECF links—automated

Lange F & R docx Crouch M&O on SJ.docx

Creating Westlaw links—automated

Viewing a linked CM/ECF document

Lange v. Hoskins, et al, (Filing No. 79)

Crouch v. Brase Electrical, (Filing No. 27)

For more information:

From the Nebraska public website, download:

Attorney Guide to Hyperlinking in the Federal Courts

(Go to the Attorney tab Electronic Case Filing (ECF)Written Procedures for Filing)

http://www.ned.uscourts.gov/attorney/electronic-case-filing