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Attorney Registration Guide

Overview

This guide walks you through creating your secure account for the FISMA Document Upload System.

Prerequisites: - ✅ Active attorney account in the Court's CM/ECF system - ✅ Access to your CM/ECF-registered email address - ✅ Supported web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari)

Estimated Time: 5-10 minutes

Registration Process

Step 1: Request Account Activation

  1. Navigate to the login page

Go to: https://www.waed.uscourts.gov/fisma-upload/

  1. Click "Set up Document Upload account"

Located at the bottom of the login form

  1. Enter your CM/ECF-registered email address

  2. This MUST be the exact email address registered in CM/ECF

  3. Example: attorney@lawfirm.com

  4. The system will verify your email against the CM/ECF attorney database

  5. Click "Request Activation Link"

The system will verify your email and send an activation link

Step 2: Check Your Email

Within 1-2 minutes, you will receive an email from the system.

Email Subject: FISMA Document Upload - Complete Your Registration

Email Details: - From: noreply@waed.uscourts.gov - Subject: FISMA Document Upload - Complete Your Registration - Delivery Time: 1-2 minutes

Email Template

From: FISMA Document Upload System <noreply@waed.uscourts.gov>
To: attorney@lawfirm.com
Subject: FISMA Document Upload - Complete Your Registration

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Washington
FISMA Secure Document Upload System
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Hello,

You requested to create an account for the FISMA Secure Document
Upload System. Your email address has been verified against the
Court's CM/ECF attorney database.

To complete your registration, please click the link below:

https://www.waed.uscourts.gov/fisma-upload/?token=abc123xyz789...

This link will expire in 30 minutes.

If you did not request this registration, please disregard this
email and contact the Clerk's Office.

Security Notice:
This system handles FISMA High Impact Level information. All
activity is monitored and logged. Unauthorized access is
prohibited.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Eastern District of Washington - Clerk's Office
Phone: (509) 458-3410
Email: ecfinfo@waed.uscourts.gov

⏱️ Important: The registration link expires in 30 minutes

Step 3: Complete Registration

  1. Click the activation link in the email

This will open the registration completion page with your email pre-filled

  1. Create a secure password

Password Requirements: - Minimum 8 characters - At least one uppercase letter (A-Z) - At least one lowercase letter (a-z) - At least one digit (0-9) - At least one special character (!@#$%^&*)

Example Strong Password: Attorney2025!Secure

  1. Confirm your password

Re-enter the exact same password

  1. Enter your full name (optional)

  2. This helps identify your account

  3. Example: Jane Smith

  4. Click "Complete Registration"

Your account will be created immediately

After successful registration, you'll see an option to set up a passkey.

What is a passkey? - Phishing-resistant authentication - Uses biometrics (fingerprint, face recognition) or security key - Faster and more secure than passwords - Meets FISMA IA-2(2) requirements

Options: - Set up now: Follow the Passkey Setup Guide - Skip for now: You can add a passkey later from Account Settings

Registration Complete!

✅ Success! Your account has been created.

You can now: 1. Log in with your email and password 2. Upload documents for court filing 3. Add passkeys for enhanced security (recommended)

Troubleshooting Registration

"Email not found in CM/ECF system"

Problem: Your email is not registered in the Court's CM/ECF database

Solutions: 1. Verify you're using the EXACT email address from your CM/ECF account 2. Check for typos in the email address 3. If you recently updated your CM/ECF email, allow 24-48 hours for synchronization 4. Contact the Clerk's Office: (509) 458-3410

Problem: You clicked the link more than 30 minutes after receiving the email

Solution: 1. Return to the login page 2. Click "Set up Document Upload account" again 3. Enter your email address 4. Check for a NEW registration email 5. Complete registration within 30 minutes

"Email not received"

Problem: You didn't receive the registration email

Solutions: 1. Check spam/junk folder - Court emails may be filtered 2. Wait 5 minutes - Email delivery can take a few minutes 3. Check email address - Ensure you entered it correctly 4. Firewall/filter - Your organization may block automated emails 5. Contact IT support - Whitelist @waed.uscourts.gov domain

"Password doesn't meet requirements"

Problem: Your password doesn't meet security requirements

Solution: Create a password with: - ✅ At least 8 characters - ✅ Uppercase letter (A-Z) - ✅ Lowercase letter (a-z) - ✅ Digit (0-9) - ✅ Special character (!@#$%^&*)

Example: SecurePass123!

"Passwords don't match"

Problem: The password and confirmation don't match exactly

Solution: 1. Clear both password fields 2. Enter your password in the first field 3. Copy and paste it to the confirmation field 4. OR carefully re-type it ensuring exact match

Security Best Practices

Password Security

  • ❌ Don't use the same password as other accounts
  • ❌ Don't share your password with anyone
  • ❌ Don't write it down in unsecured locations
  • ✅ Do use a password manager
  • ✅ Do set up a passkey for additional security
  • ✅ Do change your password if you suspect compromise

Account Security

  • Enable passkey authentication - Phishing-resistant and more secure
  • Keep your email secure - It's used for account recovery
  • Log out when finished - Especially on shared computers
  • Report suspicious activity - Contact Clerk's Office immediately

Next Steps

Now that you're registered:

  1. Learn Login Methods → Understand password and passkey authentication

  2. Set Up Passkey → Add phishing-resistant authentication (recommended)

  3. Upload Your First Document → Start uploading sealed documents

Need Help?

Clerk's Office - Eastern District of Washington Phone: (509) 458-3410 Email: ecfinfo@waed.uscourts.gov Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Pacific Time

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