When calculating deadlines in federal court, most attorneys are
familiar with the "mailbox rule." Until recently, the
"mailbox rule" provided respondents with an additional
three days to respond to pleadings and discovery that were served
via e-mail, via the federal court's e-file system, or via
traditional "snail mail" options.
In 2001, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were amended to
add e-filing and e-mail to the types of service that received the
benefit of the "mailbox rule."
This was done to account for technological difficulties in
transmitting pleadings electronically. As technology advanced, this
rule seemed like another instance where the legal profession had
failed to keep up with modern technology.
