Just in case you didn't know

1. How do I get notified of new activity on a case?

CM/ECF now allows for notifying news agencies or other interested parties of case activity in the CM/ECF system by registering for our new "Special Mailing Group" (or SMG).

Here's how it works:

1. You must be registered with PACER. (If you have a PACER account already, do not register
again.)

2. You must then register here for the SMG (see below).

3. When the registration is complete (1-2 business days), we will issue you a new SMG password for CM/ECF via email.

4. The login & password will only allow you to:

1. Change your personal information (login, password, address, email, etc.)

2. Add/edit/delete cases that you wish to "watch" (i.e., get email notices)

5. With your SMG registration you can not efile or do anything else in ECF. To access CM/ECF
Queries, Reports, etc., you will use your PACER login/password.

Once You have your SMG login & password, and you add whichever cases you are interested in to your profile, you will get email notices of activity, when new activity occurs (just like everyone else on the case) BUT...

6. You may need to use your PACER login to access the documents.

7. You may be charged for accessing documents (but once you access the document, you can view, save or print it).

8. Although you will get email notifications of activity, you will never have access to documents:

§ in Social Security cases

§ filed under sealed

§ filed as a "Limited Access" event

§ that were filed in paper only
Please note that all documents in non-e-filing cases and/or paper-only filings in efiling cases cannot be accessed online, however there are clear instructions in these situations that these notices are "information only." This is covered more thoroughly in our FAQ section.

9. You will also never have access to, or notification from:

§ cases under seal

§ cases not in this court's CM/ECF system

10. You will also not get notice on any cases other than those you define in your profile. You must
have the case number set in your profile in order to get notices on that case.
Please note the case numbering format is always: YY-NNNNN (such as 05-12345), do not enter any letters.

11. The court cannot guarantee anything regarding the SMG. This includes, but is not limited to: deletion of the SMG account, failure of delivery, timeliness or accuracy of emails, activity docketed late or activity not in the ECF system.

The court reserves the right to remove or alter in any way the SMG program and/or the SMG registrant's ECF accounts.

http://cand.uscourts.gov/existcasefaq#question_0