New Jersey Federal Court Filing Formatting Rules: District of New Jersey

New Jersey federal filing format is mostly controlled by the District of New Jersey Local Civil Rules, not by a single statewide template. For ordinary civil filings, the core rules are Local Civil Rule 10.1 for form of pleadings, Local Civil Rule 7.2 for briefs, and Local Civil Rule 5.2 for electronic filing.

The federal rules still matter. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 10 supplies the baseline rules for pleading captions, numbered paragraphs, and exhibits attached to pleadings. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2 supplies the federal privacy-redaction rule. But the local details that control font size, margins, brief length, ECF PDFs, courtesy copies, signatures, sealing, and summary-judgment statements come from the District of New Jersey's local rules and ECF procedures.

On This Page

• Quick Answer
• Scope and Date Reviewed
• District of New Jersey Filing Formatting Rules at a Glance
• Federal Baseline Rules
• District of New Jersey Pleading Format
• District of New Jersey Brief Formatting
• Motions, Proposed Orders, and Motion Days
• Electronic Filing, PDFs, Exhibits, and Courtesy Copies
• Sealing and Redactions
• Summary Judgment Statements
• What Is Actually Different About New Jersey Federal Filing Format
• FAQ
• Primary Source Index

Quick Answer

For ordinary civil filings in the District of New Jersey, start with Local Civil Rule 10.1, "Form of Pleadings." It requires papers to be plainly printed or typewritten, in black lettering, on 8.5-by-11-inch paper, with the docket number, the assigned judge's name, and attorney contact information on the first page.

For briefs, the main formatting rule is Local Civil Rule 7.2. Briefs must use black lettering, 8.5-by-11-inch pages, margins of at least 1 inch on all sides, double-spaced text, and footnotes or inserts that may be single-spaced. Typeface must be 12-point non-proportional font, such as Courier New 12, or an equivalent 14-point proportional font, such as Times New Roman 14. If a 12-point proportional font is used instead, the page limits are reduced by 25 percent.

The default brief limits are 40 pages for opening and opposition briefs, and 15 pages for reply briefs and briefs supporting or opposing reconsideration motions. Those limits exclude the table of contents and table of authorities.

Scope and Date Reviewed

This guide summarizes primary-source formatting and filing rules for ordinary civil filings in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. It was reviewed on June 23, 2026; the latest District of New Jersey Complete Local Rules source available online for this review was the court's September 2, 2025 PDF. This article does not cover judge-specific preferences, standing orders, criminal rules, bankruptcy rules, appellate rules, patent local rules, multidistrict-litigation orders, case-type-specific procedures, emergency procedures, or every CM/ECF administrative issue. Always check the assigned judge's judicial preferences, any case-specific order, and the court's current CM/ECF instructions before filing.

District of New Jersey Filing Formatting Rules at a Glance

Federal Baseline Rules

FRCP 10(a) requires every pleading to have a caption with the court's name, a title, a file number, and a Rule 7(a) designation. The complaint must name all parties in the title. Later pleadings may name the first party on each side and refer generally to the other parties.

FRCP 10(b) requires claims or defenses to be stated in numbered paragraphs, each limited as far as practicable to a single set of circumstances. Separate claims based on separate transactions or occurrences, and separate defenses other than denials, should be stated in separate counts or defenses if doing so would promote clarity.

FRCP 10(c) says a statement in a pleading may be adopted by reference elsewhere in the same pleading or in another pleading or motion. It also says a written instrument attached as an exhibit to a pleading is part of the pleading for all purposes.

FRCP 5.2 supplies the federal privacy-redaction rule. Unless the court orders otherwise, a filing containing a Social Security number, taxpayer identification number, birth date, minor's name, or financial account number may include only the last four digits of the Social Security or taxpayer identification number, the year of birth, the minor's initials, and the last four digits of the financial account number.

District of New Jersey Pleading Format

The District of New Jersey's principal pleading form rule is Local Civil Rule 10.1. It has two practical pieces: address information for initial papers and first-page form requirements for all papers.

For the initial pleading, motion, or other paper of any party in a non-criminal case, Local Civil Rule 10.1(a) requires the first paragraph to state the street and post office address of each named party. If a named party is not a natural person, the rule requires the address of its principal place of business. If the filing does not include the required address information for counsel, clients, or unrepresented parties, the Clerk may strike and return it unless the filer presents a statement explaining why the client's address cannot be provided at that time.

For all papers, Local Civil Rule 10.1(b) requires plainly printed or typewritten text, without materially defacing interlineations or erasures. The paper must bear the docket number and the name of the judge assigned to the action or proceeding. The first page must include the name, office, post office address, and telephone number of the attorney of record for the filing party. All papers must use black lettering on reasonably heavy 8.5-by-11-inch paper, and carbon copies may not be used.

That local rule does not replace FRCP 10(a). Pleadings still need the federal caption elements: court name, title, file number, and Rule 7(a) designation. In practice, a District of New Jersey pleading should satisfy both: the federal caption content and the local first-page requirements for attorney information, docket number, assigned judge, paper size, and address disclosure where applicable.

Local Civil Rule 11.1 adds the signature requirement. In each case, the attorney of record who is a member of the District of New Jersey bar must sign all papers submitted to the court or filed with the Clerk. Pro hac vice counsel also remain responsible under FRCP 11(b) for filings as provided in Local Civil Rule 101.1(c)(6).

District of New Jersey Brief Formatting

Local Civil Rule 7.2 is the main typography and length rule for briefs.

Every brief must include a table of contents and a table of authorities. Opening and opposition briefs may not exceed 40 ordinary typed or printed pages, excluding the pages required for the table of contents and table of authorities. Reply briefs under Local Civil Rule 7.1(d)(3), and briefs supporting or opposing reconsideration motions under Local Civil Rule 7.1(i), may not exceed 15 pages. Longer briefs require special permission from the assigned judge before submission.

The font rule is unusually specific. Local Civil Rule 7.2(d) permits either 12-point non-proportional font, such as Courier New 12, or an equivalent 14-point proportional font, such as Times New Roman 14. If the filer uses a 12-point proportional font instead, the page limits are reduced by 25 percent. That means the 40-page limit becomes 30 pages, and the 15-page limit becomes 11.25 pages.

Briefs must use black lettering on 8.5-by-11-inch paper. Margins must be at least 1 inch on the sides, top, and bottom. Each page of a brief must contain double-spaced text, although footnotes or inserts may be single-spaced. Footnotes must be printed in the same size type used in the text.

Local Civil Rule 7.2(a) also separates evidence from argument. Affidavits, declarations, certifications, and similar documents must be restricted to facts within the signatory's personal knowledge. They should not contain legal argument or factual summation. Legal arguments and summations in those documents may be disregarded and may expose the signatory to sanctions.

Motions, Proposed Orders, and Motion Days

Local Civil Rule 7.1 controls most application and motion practice unless the assigned judge says otherwise. The notice of motion and all papers supporting or opposing the motion, including briefs, must be filed electronically with the Clerk. Motions filed electronically by ECF registered users must also comply with the District of New Jersey ECF policies and procedures.

Motion timing is tied to motion days. Under Local Civil Rule 7.1(c), most applications must be returnable on the first regular motion day at least 24 days after filing. Local Civil Rule 78.1(a) states that regular motion days for all vicinages are generally the first and third Monday of each month, except during court vacation periods, and the next non-holiday when a regular motion day falls on a holiday.

Moving papers and the supporting brief must be filed at least 24 days before the noticed motion day. Opposition papers and briefs must be filed at least 14 days before the original motion day unless the court orders otherwise or an automatic extension is obtained for a dispositive motion. Reply papers, if filed, must be filed at least 7 days before the motion day.

All filed motions must have a proposed order annexed. If the proposed order does not adequately reflect the court's ruling, the prevailing party may be directed to submit an order within 7 days of the ruling on notice to all other parties.

Oral argument is not automatic. Under Local Civil Rule 78.1(b), motions and other applications are decided on the papers unless a party requests oral argument and the judge grants the request, or the court directs oral argument on its own. A request for oral argument must be clearly marked on the first page of the notice of motion or the brief.

Electronic Filing, PDFs, Exhibits, and Courtesy Copies

Local Civil Rule 5.2 incorporates the District of New Jersey Electronic Case Filing Policies and Procedures. Except as expressly provided and in exceptional circumstances, civil documents, including complaints and notices of removal, are filed electronically. In removed cases, the removing party must file electronic copies of all documents previously filed in state court.

The ECF procedures define PDF requirements. A document created with a word processor, or a scanned paper document, must be converted to PDF before electronic filing. PDF documents should be text searchable and at least 400 dpi. Individual PDF documents must comply with the court's file-size limitations posted on the court's website.

Electronic filing affects signatures. Under the ECF procedures in Local Civil Rule 5.2, an attorney's ECF login and password serve as the ECF filing user's signature for Rule 11 and other signature purposes. An electronically filed document, or a document submitted on CD, must include a signature line with s/, such as s/ Jennifer Doe. Documents requiring a non-attorney signature may be filed by submitting a scanned document containing the signature or another court-approved method.

Exhibits and attachments are also governed by the ECF procedures. An ECF filing user must submit documents referenced as exhibits or attachments, including briefs, in electronic form unless the court orders otherwise. The rule also tells filers to submit only excerpts of referenced documents that are directly germane to the matter under consideration. Excerpted materials must be clearly and prominently identified as excerpts, and the court may require additional excerpts or the complete document.

Courtesy copies remain important. In addition to electronic filing of motion papers, including briefs, the filer must submit at least one paper courtesy copy to the judge's chambers unless the judicial officer directs otherwise. Local Civil Rule 7.1(g) separately requires a filer to submit one courtesy copy of each filed motion paper or brief to chambers unless otherwise directed, and says the documents must be clearly marked as courtesy copies.

Sealing and Redactions

Sealing in the District of New Jersey is governed primarily by Local Civil Rule 5.3, not just by an ECF menu choice.

The rule applies to requests to seal or otherwise restrict public access to materials filed with the court or used in connection with judicial decision-making, and to requests to restrict access to judicial proceedings. A confidentiality order does not automatically override Local Civil Rule 5.3's filing requirements. Absent extraordinary circumstances, a party should not file a motion or materials with redacted information unless a confidentiality order expressly grants leave to file under seal or the party has other appropriate leave of court.

Requests to seal are ordinarily made on notice by a single consolidated motion on behalf of all parties, unless the court orders otherwise. The motion must include the information required by Local Civil Rule 5.3(c)(3), including the nature of the materials, the interest warranting sealing, the clearly defined and serious injury that would result without sealing, why no less restrictive alternative is available, any prior order sealing the same materials, and the identity of any known objector.

When a document contains both confidential and non-confidential information, the unredacted version is filed under seal. A redacted public version must generally be filed within 14 days after completion of briefing on the underlying motion, within 14 days after filing of the pleading or letter sought to be sealed, within 14 days after ECF notice of transcript availability, or as otherwise ordered.

Privacy redactions also come from the federal and ECF rules. The District's ECF procedures repeat the FRCP 5.2 redaction categories: only the last four digits of Social Security and taxpayer-identification numbers, the last four digits of financial account numbers, a minor's initials, and the year of birth may be included in a public filing unless the court orders otherwise. Counsel and parties are responsible for redaction; the Clerk does not review each filing for personal identifiers.

Summary Judgment Statements

Summary judgment filings have a separate formatting trap. Local Civil Rule 56.1 requires the movant to furnish a statement of material facts not in dispute, set out in separately numbered paragraphs and citing to the affidavits and other documents submitted in support of the motion. A summary judgment motion that is not accompanied by that statement may be dismissed.

The opponent must furnish a responsive statement of material facts with the opposition papers, addressing each paragraph of the movant's statement. If the opponent disagrees, it must identify the disputed material fact and cite to the affidavits and other documents submitted in connection with the motion. Any material fact not disputed is deemed undisputed for purposes of the summary judgment motion.

If necessary, the opponent may also submit a supplemental statement of disputed material facts in separately numbered paragraphs with record citations. The movant must respond to that supplemental statement with its reply papers. Each statement of material facts must be a separate document, not part of a brief, and must not contain legal argument or conclusions of law.

What Is Actually Different About New Jersey Federal Filing Format

The main New Jersey-specific point is that the pleading form rule and the brief formatting rule do different jobs. Local Civil Rule 10.1 controls first-page and paper-form requirements for filings generally. Local Civil Rule 7.2 controls brief typography and page limits.

The font rule is not the common "12-point Times New Roman" rule many lawyers expect. District of New Jersey briefs may use 12-point non-proportional font or an equivalent 14-point proportional font. A 12-point proportional font is allowed only with a 25 percent page-limit reduction. That detail matters because using Times New Roman 12 can silently turn a 40-page limit into 30 pages.

The motion calendar also affects formatting and filing workflow. Motions are keyed to regular motion days, with opening papers generally due 24 days before the motion day, opposition 14 days before, and replies 7 days before. The motion day must appear on the cover page of briefs filed under Local Civil Rule 7.1(d). A request for oral argument must be clearly marked on the first page of the notice of motion or brief.

The practical result is that a District of New Jersey federal filing should be built as a package, not just a single document. The caption, first paragraph address disclosure, attorney block, brief font, margins, page limits, proposed order, ECF signature, exhibits, courtesy copies, sealing motion, public redacted version, and summary-judgment statement all come from different parts of the rules.

That is the gap DocketDrafter's AI pleading formatter is built around. Drafting text is only part of the job. The filed document still has to satisfy the court's mechanical requirements: caption structure, font size, spacing, margins, page limits, signature blocks, exhibits, redactions, proposed orders, and filing-ready attachments.

FAQ

What font size is required for District of New Jersey briefs?

Local Civil Rule 7.2(d) requires 12-point non-proportional font, such as Courier New 12, or an equivalent 14-point proportional font, such as Times New Roman 14. If a 12-point proportional font is used instead, the page limits are reduced by 25 percent.

What margins are required for District of New Jersey briefs?

Local Civil Rule 7.2(c) requires margins of at least 1 inch on the sides, top, and bottom of briefs.

Are District of New Jersey briefs double-spaced?

Yes. Local Civil Rule 7.2(d) requires each page of a brief to contain double-spaced text, with single-spaced footnotes or inserts permitted. Footnotes must use the same type size as the text.

What are the brief page limits in the District of New Jersey?

Local Civil Rule 7.2(b) generally limits briefs to 40 ordinary typed or printed pages, excluding the table of contents and table of authorities. Reply briefs and briefs supporting or opposing reconsideration motions are limited to 15 pages. Longer briefs require special permission before submission.

What happens if I use Times New Roman 12 in a District of New Jersey brief?

Times New Roman 12 is a 12-point proportional font. Under Local Civil Rule 7.2(d), using a 12-point proportional font reduces the page limits by 25 percent. The 40-page limit becomes 30 pages, and the 15-page limit becomes 11.25 pages.

What must appear on the first page of a District of New Jersey filing?

Local Civil Rule 10.1(b) requires papers to bear the docket number and assigned judge's name and to have the attorney of record's name, office, post office address, and telephone number endorsed on the first page. Initial papers also have address-disclosure requirements under Local Civil Rule 10.1(a).

Does the District of New Jersey require proposed orders with motions?

Yes. Local Civil Rule 7.1(e) says all filed motions must have a proposed order annexed.

Does the District of New Jersey require courtesy copies?

Usually yes for motion papers, including briefs, unless the judicial officer directs otherwise. Local Civil Rule 7.1(g) requires one courtesy copy of each filed motion paper or brief to chambers, clearly marked as a courtesy copy. The ECF procedures also require at least one paper courtesy copy of motion papers, including briefs, unless otherwise directed.

Are summary judgment statements separate from the brief in the District of New Jersey?

Yes. Local Civil Rule 56.1 requires each statement of material facts to be a separate document, not part of a brief, and to avoid legal argument or conclusions of law.

Are judge preferences part of New Jersey federal filing formatting rules?

Judge preferences are not covered by this guide, but they can change practical filing requirements, including courtesy copies, proposed orders, oral argument requests, and chambers-specific procedures. Always check the assigned judge's preferences, any case-specific order, and the current CM/ECF instructions before filing.

Primary Source Index