Cite as: 532 U. S. 757 (2001)
Opinion of the Court
Procedure (Civil Rule) 11(a), which provides that "[e]very . . . paper [filed in a district court] shall be signed." We agree with the Sixth Circuit that the governing Federal Rules call for a signature on notices of appeal. We disagree, however, with that court's dispositive ruling that the signature requirement cannot be met after the appeal period expires.
Civil Rule 11(a), the source of the signature requirement, comes into play on appeal this way. An appeal can be initiated, Appellate Rule 3(a)(1) instructs, "only by filing a notice of appeal with the district clerk within the time allowed by [Appellate] Rule 4." Whenever the Appellate Rules provide for a filing in the district court, Appellate Rule 1(a)(2) directs, "the procedure must comply with the practice of the district court." The district court practice relevant here is Civil Rule 11(a).
Rule 11(a)'s first sentence states the signature requirement:
"Every pleading, written motion, and other paper shall be signed by at least one attorney of record in the attorney's individual name, or, if the party is not represented by an attorney, shall be signed by the party."
Notices of appeal unquestionably qualify as "other paper[s]," so they "shall be signed."
Becker maintains that typing one's name satisfies the signature requirement and that his original notice of appeal, containing his name typed above "(Counsel of Record)," met Civil Rule 11(a)'s instruction. We do not doubt that the signature requirement can be adjusted to keep pace with technological advances. A 1996 amendment to Civil Rule 5 provides in this regard:
"A court may by local rule permit papers to be filed, signed, or verified by electronic means that are consist-days after the [originally] prescribed time or 10 days after the date when the order granting the motion is entered, whichever is later." Fed. Rule App. Proc. 4(a)(5).
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