The District of Kansas local rules supplement the Federal Rules of Civil, Criminal, and Appellate Procedure with the specifics that make a filing work in this court: mandatory electronic filing through CM/ECF, page limits that vary by motion type, a conferral requirement on most civil motions, and response and reply deadlines set by D. Kan. Rule 6.1 as amended in 2024. Getting a detail wrong can mean a stricken motion or a missed deadline, so read the current text before you file.
Where to Find the Current Rules
The authoritative version of the local rules is the master PDF published on the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas website, updated as amendments take effect. The court also posts summaries when rules change, including the 2024 package that revised response and reply deadlines.
Before relying on the published rules, check for recent standing or administrative orders. They can override specific local rules on short notice. The Administrative Procedures Guide on the same site covers CM/ECF mechanics in detail.
Mandatory Electronic Filing
Virtually all documents must be filed through CM/ECF. Unless the assigned judge specifically authorizes otherwise, or the Administrative Procedures or a general court order permit paper filing, every submission goes through the system.1United States District Court for the District of Kansas. Administrative Procedures for Filing, Signing, and Verifying Pleadings and Papers by Electronic Means
Documents must be converted to PDF and meet the court’s legibility standards. When you file, select the appropriate CM/ECF event so the document dockets correctly. Exhibits are labeled separately and accompanied by an index. Electronic signatures take the form “s/” followed by the filer’s typed name. After a successful submission, the system generates a Notice of Electronic Filing, which is the official confirmation and records the date and time the document entered the docket.
Technical Failures and System Outages
If CM/ECF itself goes down, the Administrative Procedures generally allow you to preserve a deadline through email, fax, or physical delivery, with proper electronic filing completed once the system returns. Problems on your end are treated differently. A broken computer or lost internet connection is not a technical failure that excuses a late filing; the expectation is that you find another way to file electronically before the deadline runs.
Pro Se Filers
Self-represented parties are not shut out of the electronic system. A pro se party with an open civil case can request e-filing privileges by contacting Attorney Registration at 913-735-2229 before making the request through PACER.2United States District Court. Can a Pro Se Party Electronically File in the U.S. District Court, District of Kansas? Pro se litigants without those privileges file paper documents with the clerk’s office.
Motion Content Requirements
Every motion must be accompanied by a brief or memorandum with a concise statement of facts, and each factual assertion needs a specific citation to the record. Motions that fail these requirements can be denied or stricken.
Page Limits by Motion Type
The rules cap the argument-and-authorities section of a brief, and the limit depends on the motion:3United States District Court for the District of Kansas. Rules of Practice of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas
- Discovery-related motions: principal briefs 10 pages, replies 3 pages.
- Summary judgment and class certification motions: principal briefs 40 pages, replies 15 pages.
- All other motions: principal briefs 15 pages, replies 5 pages.
The same limits apply to non-motion briefs, including merits briefs in Social Security and bankruptcy appeals and proceedings involving habeas corpus petitions, motions to correct or reduce a sentence, and prisoner civil rights complaints.3United States District Court for the District of Kansas. Rules of Practice of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas
If you need more room, file a motion to exceed the page limits at least three days before the brief is due.3United States District Court for the District of Kansas. Rules of Practice of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas Filing the overlength brief first and asking permission after is not the accepted route.
Certificate of Conferral
Most civil motions require a certificate of conferral, a written statement confirming that the moving party contacted opposing counsel and made a good-faith effort to resolve the dispute before involving the court. Judges in this district take the requirement seriously, and a motion filed without one can be denied summarily. The point is to keep the court out of disputes the lawyers could have settled with a phone call.
Response and Reply Deadlines
The 2024 amendments to D. Kan. Rule 6.1 set deadlines for dispositive and similar motions: responses are due within 21 days after service of the motion, and replies within 14 days after service of the response.4United States District Court for the District of Kansas. District of Kansas Local Rules – Summary of 2024 Local Rule Amendments The rule covers motions to dismiss, for judgment on the pleadings, to remand, to transfer, to compel arbitration, to certify or decertify a class or collective action, for summary judgment, to exclude expert testimony, for default judgment, for a new trial, to alter or amend the judgment, and for judgment.
These deadlines differ from the general timeframes in the Federal Rules, so relying on the federal defaults alone can put you behind. A scheduling order in your case can also change them, so check any orders the assigned judge has entered before counting days.