> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.courtrules.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Check Categories

> What the /check endpoint validates and when each check applies

The [`/check`](/api-reference/check) endpoint runs your filing through every applicable rule and returns results in under a millisecond. There's no LLM involved, no network calls, nothing non-deterministic. Same input always gives you the same output.

Every result tells you exactly where the rule comes from (e.g., "FRCP 10(a)", "EDNY LR 7.1(c)", "Brown SO §2.B") so you can look it up in the original document yourself.

## Key terms

| Term            | What it means                                                                                                               |
| --------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **FRCP**        | Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the national baseline, identical for every federal judge                                  |
| **LR**          | Local Rules, published by each district, applying to every judge in that district                                           |
| **SO**          | Standing Orders, issued by individual judges; they override LR and FRCP where they conflict                                 |
| **PMC**         | Pre-motion conference: a letter to the judge requesting permission to file a dispositive motion                             |
| **ECF**         | Electronic Case Filing, the federal court docketing system where documents are submitted                                    |
| **Filing gate** | A standing order requirement that all motion papers (motion, opposition, reply) be complete before anything is filed on ECF |
| **Bundling**    | A standing order requirement that motion, opposition, and reply be submitted as a single package                            |

## What gets checked

| Category                | What it catches                                                                                                                         | Rule source        |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------ |
| Page limits             | Your document has too many pages for this judge                                                                                         | Standing orders    |
| Word limits             | Your document exceeds the district's word count cap                                                                                     | Local rules        |
| Formatting              | Font is too small, margins are too narrow, or line spacing is wrong                                                                     | Local rules        |
| Structural requirements | Missing pieces like caption, signature block, table of contents, certificate of service, or motion-specific documents (21 checks total) | FRCP + local rules |
| Privacy redactions      | Full SSN, date of birth, minor's name, or financial account number appears in the filing                                                | FRCP 5.2(a)        |
| Word count consistency  | The word count in your certificate of compliance is off by more than 5% from the actual count                                           | Local rules        |
| Courtesy copies         | Whether the judge wants a printed courtesy copy (always, never, or only above a page threshold)                                         | Standing orders    |
| Pre-motion conference   | The judge wants a PMC letter before you file dispositive motions                                                                        | Standing orders    |
| Filing gate             | The judge wants all motion papers fully briefed before anything gets filed                                                              | Standing orders    |
| Bundling                | The judge wants the motion, opposition, and reply filed together as a single package                                                    | Standing orders    |

## How limits work

Page limits and word limits are **independent**. Both apply at the same time. You can pass the word limit but fail the page limit, or the other way around.

Opposition briefs use the same limits as support briefs. When you send `document_scope: "brief_opposition"`, the API checks limits under `brief_support` automatically.

```
brief_support: 25 pages / 8,750 words (EDNY local rules)
brief_reply:   10 pages / 3,500 words (EDNY local rules)
```

Individual judges can set stricter limits in their standing orders. In EDNY: Judge Brown caps support briefs at 20 pages (5 below the district default). Judge Amon imposes no judge-specific page limit, so the district's 25-page cap applies. Same district, same document, different outcome depending on the judge assigned.

## When structural checks apply

Not every structural check runs on every filing. Each check has a trigger condition:

| Trigger                   | When it runs                           |
| ------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| `always`                  | Every filing                           |
| `motion`                  | Any motion filing                      |
| `Rule_56`                 | Summary judgment motions               |
| `Rule_12`                 | Rule 12 motions                        |
| `discovery`               | Discovery motions                      |
| `motion_to_amend`         | Motions to amend                       |
| `motion_in_limine`        | Motions in limine                      |
| `pages_gte_10`            | Documents with 10 or more pages        |
| `opposing_pro_se_Rule_56` | SJ motions against pro se parties      |
| `opposing_pro_se_Rule_12` | Rule 12 motions against pro se parties |

If you don't include a particular section in your request (for example, you skip the `format` object), checks that depend on it are silently skipped. You only get results for what you send.

## Pre-motion conference logic

Some judges require a pre-motion conference (PMC) before you can file certain motions. The API walks through a decision tree to figure out whether PMC applies to your filing:

```mermaid theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
flowchart TD
    A[Dispositive motion] --> B{Judge requires PMC?}
    B -- No --> Z([Check skipped])
    B -- Yes --> C{Filing party is pro se\nand judge exempts pro se?}
    C -- Yes --> D([INFO: PMC not required\nfor pro se parties])
    C -- No --> E{Motion type exempt\nfor this judge?}
    E -- Yes --> F([INFO: Motion type\nexempt from PMC])
    E -- No --> G{pmc_completed: true?}
    G -- Yes --> H([PASS])
    G -- No --> I([FAIL: PMC required\nbefore filing])
```

In EDNY: Judge Amon requires a PMC letter before any dispositive motion. Judge Block does not. A Rule 56 motion that passes PMC with Block would fail with Amon if `pmc_completed: false`.

A few details: some judges require the opposing party to respond within a set number of days (`response_required`, `response_days`). Some judges only require PMC for represented counsel, not pro se parties (`requires_represented_counsel`).

## Result statuses

Every check result comes back with one of three statuses:

| Status            | What it means                                                                               |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `FAIL`            | A rule is violated. The document is non-compliant and needs to be fixed.                    |
| `PASS`            | The rule is satisfied. Included so you can see what passed, not just what failed.           |
| `ACTION_REQUIRED` | Not a violation, but something you need to do (e.g., "submit a courtesy copy to chambers"). |