Second Generation Electronic Filing Specifications Project

California's 2GEFS project seeks to develop a new generation of electronic filing specifications for the courts in California. The specifications were developed and tested in two separate phases between 2002 and 2004.

The AOC invited case management system vendors and electronic service providers to collaborate in defining the project's technical requirements and developing the core draft specifications in phase 1. The participants, working with AOC staff and consultants, developed four core specifications, delivered in July 2003, to facilitate electronic filing in California:

• Court Filing defines an electronic envelope for transporting documents and case data to and from court systems (Filings and Confirmations).
• Court Policy defines how details about individual courts or their divisions can be expressed so that computer programs can understand the information without human intervention.
• Request/Response defines how information and documents can be queried and retrieved from court databases.
• CMS API is an application program interface (API) for standardizing the means to move data and documents into and out of court case management systems (CMS).

A group of subject-matter experts reviewed these specifications to ensure they would meet court needs.

In phase 2, which began in January 2004 and ended in August 2004, the specifications underwent validation testing in conjunction with the Superior Court of Sacramento County's implementation of an electronic filing system for unlawful detainer filings. The phase 2 team consisted of court operations and technology staff and had additional assistance of staff in Orange County, AOC staff, consultants, and service providers, who worked together to fully understand and implement the specifications as part of the court's electronic filing project.

Additional business issues have been identified through testing and preparation for the implementation of a statewide electronic filing architecture. These issues include establishing and maintaining a statewide registry for court policy files, creating a methodology for developing and maintaining the court policy files, and defining roles and responsibilities for electronic filing service providers, the electronic filing manager, and the courts. The AOC will now begin to work with court subject experts to resolve these issues to further enhance the specifications.

The AOC has licensed the final specifications to ensure that they remain unaltered and free for use by anyone.

California Electronic Filing Technical Standards

Prior to the 2GEFS project, California's first step in defining the technical environment for uniform statewide electronic filing (e-filing) wasdefined in the California Electronic Filing Technical Standards, version 6. The technical standards resulted from a collaborative process involving courts, vendors, the AOC, and other interested parties. They are grounded in part on proposed OASIS/LegalXML standards and consist of 14 specifications involving:

CEFTS conferences provided the forum for introducing, revising, and approving specifications.

• In Adobe Acrobat PDF format (194 KB)

OASIS/LegalXML Member Section Work Products

The OASIS/LegalXML Electronic Court Filing Technical Committee is an active source for electronic filing standards, one in which the AOC actively participates. Information regarding the OASIS/LegalXML Electronic Court Filing Technical Committee's activities is available at http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/legalxml-courtfiling/ .

National Consortium for State Court Automation Standards

The National Consortium for State Court Automation Standards has drafted proposed standards for national electronic filing processes. These standards cover policy, a conceptual model, and functional standards and are ultimately intended for acceptance by the Conference of Chief Justices. They will become advisory in nature for California when that occurs.