5th Circuit: Proposed orders must be submitted in Word (.docx) — WordPerfect, Word 97 and PDF rejected
Summary
Circuit-wide submission rule on the official Submitting Proposed Orders page: all proposed orders in .docx; WordPerfect, Word 97 and PDF are not accepted. Individual judge pages control the channel (e-portal vs. JA email) — several judges (Healis, Craggs, Herndon, Nimeth) accept email/Word only.
Requirement
Verbatim from the official page (fetched 2026-07-20): "All proposed orders must be submitted in Word (.docx) format. WordPerfect, Word 97, and PDF documents will not be accepted." AO A-2021-58 (proposed orders / e-portal authority) is the underlying administrative order referenced by judge profiles. ALWAYS check the assigned judge's page: e.g., Judge Healis — email only, "NO PDF DOCUMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED"; Judge Craggs — proposed orders are NOT accepted through the e-portal, email in Word to the JA; Judge Welke (probate) — U.S. Mail only.
Source of truth
All proposed orders must be submitted in Word (.docx) format. WordPerfect, Word 97, and PDF documents will not be accepted.
- Source health
- Healthy · checked July 21, 2026
- Effective date
- —
- Last verified
- July 19, 2026fable5-livefetch-2026-07-20
Reviewer note: Page + A-2021-58 PDF both fetched + hashed 2026-07-20.
Related rules
Proposed Orders: Word Format via Online Services — Division AO
Division AO requires proposed orders to be submitted in Word format through the 15th Circuit Online Services System. Orders submitted online do not need a date or signature line.
Proposed Orders: Circulate in 3 Working Days, Submit Within 7 — Division CV-E
When counsel is asked to prepare an order after a hearing, it must be drafted and circulated to opposing counsel within three working days and submitted to the Court within seven days of the hearing.
Proposed Orders: Word via E-Portal Only — Never Dual-Submit — Division CV-A
Proposed orders go to the Court in Word format through the e-portal with an explanatory cover letter. Submitting the same order by both e-portal and email risks duplicate entry; with unrepresented parties, counsel must mail copies and file a Notice of Service.
Proposed Orders Within 24 Hours of Ruling — Division AJ
Judge Cheesman requires proposed orders in Word via Online Services within 24 hours of the ruling — no date or signature line, with names and addresses of all copy recipients.