DC Superior Court General Civil Case Cover Sheet

DC SUPERIOR COURT GENERAL CIVIL CASE COVER SHEET

Superior Court of the District of Columbia — Civil Division, Civil Actions Branch

FILING REQUIREMENT: This cover sheet must be completed and filed simultaneously with the Complaint pursuant to D.C. Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure Rules 3 and 5. Failure to submit a properly completed cover sheet may result in rejection of the filing.

E-FILING: Most civil cases in DC Superior Court are filed via CaseFileXpress (casefilexpress.com). A completed cover sheet must be included as a separate attachment in the e-filing package.

Pro Se Filers: Complete this form at the Civil Actions Branch, Room 5000, DC Superior Court, 500 Indiana Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001.

SECTION 1 — CASE CAPTION

Plaintiff(s)

Add additional plaintiffs on a separate sheet if needed.

Defendant(s)

Add additional defendants on a separate sheet if needed.

SECTION 2 — ATTORNEY INFORMATION

Plaintiff's Lead Counsel

Defendant's Lead Counsel (if known at time of filing)

SECTION 3 — NATURE OF SUIT AND CASE CATEGORY

Instructions: Check one primary category and one subcategory. Selecting multiple primary categories may cause mis-routing. These codes mirror the Superior Court's internal docketing system.

A. CONTRACT / COMMERCIAL

☐ A-01 Breach of Written Contract
☐ A-02 Breach of Oral Contract
☐ A-03 Breach of Warranty (Goods)
☐ A-04 Breach of Warranty (Services)
☐ A-05 Negotiable Instrument / Promissory Note
☐ A-06 Account Stated / Collection
☐ A-07 Fraud / Misrepresentation in Contract
☐ A-08 Unjust Enrichment / Quasi-Contract
☐ A-09 Insurance Contract Dispute
☐ A-10 Lease / Rental Agreement Dispute (commercial)
☐ A-99 Other Contract / Commercial

B. REAL PROPERTY

☐ B-01 Quiet Title / Ejectment
☐ B-02 Mortgage Foreclosure
☐ B-03 Construction / Mechanic's Lien
☐ B-04 Landlord-Tenant (non-housing court) — Commercial
☐ B-05 Boundary / Easement Dispute
☐ B-06 Condemnation / Eminent Domain
☐ B-07 Specific Performance of Real Estate Contract
☐ B-99 Other Real Property

Note: Residential landlord-tenant matters are typically filed in the Landlord-Tenant Branch of DC Superior Court, not the Civil Actions Branch.

C. TORT — PERSONAL INJURY / PROPERTY DAMAGE

☐ C-01 Motor Vehicle Accident — Personal Injury
☐ C-02 Motor Vehicle Accident — Property Damage Only
☐ C-03 Slip and Fall / Premises Liability
☐ C-04 Medical Malpractice
☐ C-05 Dental Malpractice
☐ C-06 Legal Malpractice
☐ C-07 Other Professional Negligence
☐ C-08 Product Liability
☐ C-09 Assault and Battery (civil)
☐ C-10 Wrongful Death
☐ C-11 Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
☐ C-12 Defamation (Libel / Slander)
☐ C-99 Other Tort / Personal Injury

D. EQUITY / DECLARATORY RELIEF

☐ D-01 Declaratory Judgment
☐ D-02 Preliminary / Permanent Injunction
☐ D-03 Specific Performance (non-real estate)
☐ D-04 Accounting / Constructive Trust
☐ D-05 Reformation of Instrument
☐ D-06 Rescission
☐ D-99 Other Equitable Relief

E. STATUTORY / ADMINISTRATIVE / CIVIL RIGHTS

☐ E-01 DC Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) — D.C. Code § 2-531 et seq.
☐ E-02 Administrative Agency Appeal
☐ E-03 Employment Discrimination — DC Human Rights Act (D.C. Code § 2-1401 et seq.)
☐ E-04 Employment Discrimination — Title VII / ADA / ADEA (federal)
☐ E-05 Whistleblower / Retaliation
☐ E-06 DC Consumer Protection — D.C. Code § 28-3901 et seq.
☐ E-07 Civil Rights — 42 U.S.C. § 1983
☐ E-08 ADA / Section 504 Accessibility
☐ E-09 Wage Theft / Unpaid Wages — DC Wage Payment Act
☐ E-10 Intellectual Property (copyright, trademark, trade secret)
☐ E-11 Shareholder / Corporate Dispute
☐ E-12 Partnership / LLC Dispute
☐ E-13 Estate / Probate (Superior Court Probate Division — file there if applicable)
☐ E-99 Other Statutory / Public Law Action

F. GOVERNMENT / DC DISTRICT

☐ F-01 Action Against DC Government — D.C. Code § 12-309 (notice of claim required)
☐ F-02 Action Against Federal Agency / Officer
☐ F-03 Tax Appeal
☐ F-04 Zoning / Land Use Appeal
☐ F-99 Other Government Action

DC Government Notice Requirement: Claims against the District of Columbia require a notice of claim within 6 months of the injury under D.C. Code § 12-309, mailed to the Mayor or delivered to the Office of the Mayor. Failure to comply bars the action.

SECTION 4 — BASIS OF JURISDICTION

Check all that apply. Identify any concurrent federal basis even if filing in Superior Court (to preserve removal/remand considerations).

☐ D.C. Code § 11-921 — General civil jurisdiction of the DC Superior Court (amount in controversy exceeds $10,000; or any amount for equity actions)
☐ D.C. Code § 13-423 — DC Long-Arm Statute (defendant is a nonresident)
☐ Federal Question — 28 U.S.C. § 1331 — Claim arises under federal law (exercised concurrently in DC Superior Court)
☐ Diversity — 28 U.S.C. § 1332 — Amount in controversy exceeds $75,000 and parties are citizens of different states (Note: defendant may seek removal to federal court)
☐ D.C. Code § 11-946 — Jury trial right asserted

Small Claims: Claims of $10,000 or less must be filed in the Small Claims Branch. D.C. Code § 11-1321.

SECTION 5 — RELIEF SOUGHT

Monetary Relief

Enter "TBD" or "To be determined" if damages cannot be ascertained at filing; amend when quantified.

Non-Monetary Relief

☐ Injunction (preliminary / permanent)
☐ Declaratory judgment
☐ Specific performance
☐ Accounting
☐ Other: [________________________________]

Jury Demand

☐ Plaintiff demands a jury trial pursuant to D.C. Code § 11-946 and SCR-Civ. Rule 38.
☐ Plaintiff does NOT demand a jury trial; case to be tried to the Court.

Jury Surcharge: A $75.00 jury demand surcharge applies. See Section 7 (Filing Fees).

DC Jury Pool: DC Superior Court juries are drawn from registered voters and licensed drivers in the District of Columbia.

SECTION 6 — RELATED PENDING OR DISPOSED CASES

Disclosure required under SCR-Civ. Rule 40-I to facilitate coordinated case assignment.

☐ I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and after a reasonable inquiry, there are NO related cases pending or disposed of in this Court or any other court.

☐ The following related cases exist:

Cases are "related" if they involve the same parties, substantially similar facts, the same transaction or occurrence, or questions of law or fact in common such that coordinated assignment would avoid duplication, conserve resources, or prevent inconsistent rulings.

SECTION 7 — FILING FEE COMPUTATION

Statutory authority: D.C. Code § 15-101; DC Superior Court Civil Fee Schedule. Verify current schedule at dccourts.gov before filing — fees are subject to change by court order.

Fee Waiver (In Forma Pauperis):
☐ Plaintiff is requesting waiver of filing fees — attach approved In Forma Pauperis (IFP) Order or Fee Waiver Application.
IFP applications are available at the Civil Actions Branch clerk's window or at dccourts.gov.

Accepted Payment Methods: ☐ Cash ☐ Check (payable to "DC Superior Court") ☐ Credit/Debit Card ☐ Money Order
(No personal checks over $500 without pre-authorization.)

SECTION 8 — ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (ADR) TRACK

DC Superior Court's Multi-Door Dispute Resolution Division offers several ADR programs. Many civil cases are referred to ADR automatically or on motion.

ADR Preference:
☐ Plaintiff requests referral to: ☐ Mediation ☐ Arbitration ☐ Early Neutral Evaluation ☐ No preference
☐ Plaintiff objects to ADR referral at this time — reason: [________________________________]

The assigned judge may order ADR referral regardless of the parties' preference.

SECTION 9 — CASE TRACK ASSIGNMENT

DC Superior Court assigns civil cases to tracks based on complexity and discovery needs. The track affects scheduling order deadlines.

Plaintiff's proposed track:
☐ Expedited ☐ Standard ☐ Complex ☐ Complex Litigation Center

Justification (required if requesting Complex or CLC track): [________________________________]

Note: Track assignment is made by the assigned judge at the Initial Scheduling and Case Management Order (ISCMO) conference, typically held within 45–90 days of filing.

SECTION 10 — SERVICE OF PROCESS STATUS

Service of the Complaint must be made within 60 days of filing under SCR-Civ. Rule 4(m).

DC Government Defendants: Service on the District of Columbia requires delivery to the Mayor's Office and the Corporation Counsel (Office of the Attorney General for DC). D.C. Code § 12-309 notice must have been sent within 6 months of the incident.

Federal Government Defendants: Follow Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(i) — serve the U.S. Attorney for DC and the Attorney General. Consider whether case should be filed in U.S. District Court for DC instead.

SECTION 11 — CORPORATE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

Required under SCR-Civ. Rule 7.1 for any nongovernmental corporate party.

☐ Plaintiff is not a corporation — skip this section.
☐ Corporate Disclosure Statement filed as a separate document — identifies:

• Any parent corporation; and
• Any publicly held corporation owning 10% or more of Plaintiff's stock.

☐ Plaintiff [________________________________] has no parent corporation and no publicly held corporation owns 10% or more of its stock.

SECTION 12 — ATTORNEY CERTIFICATION

I, the undersigned attorney (or pro se party), certify under penalty of sanctions that:

1. The information provided in this cover sheet is true, accurate, and complete to the best of my knowledge after reasonable inquiry.
2. I have complied with the service and filing requirements of the DC Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure.
3. I have complied with the notice requirements of D.C. Code § 12-309 if this action names the District of Columbia as a defendant.
4. The case category selected accurately reflects the primary nature of this action to avoid mis-routing.
5. I acknowledge that intentional misclassification or material omission may subject me to sanctions, including dismissal, adverse orders, or referral to the DC Bar's Office of Disciplinary Counsel.
6. I understand that filing a civil action creates obligations to the Court, opposing parties, and the public that require good faith conduct throughout the litigation.

Date: _____________________________

Signature: ________________________________________

Printed Name: [________________________________]

DC Bar No.: [________________________________]

Firm / Organization: [________________________________]

OPTIONAL ADDENDA CHECKLIST

Attach the following documents as separate, captioned filings (unless local rules permit consolidation):

☐ Corporate Disclosure Statement (SCR-Civ. Rule 7.1) — required for corporate parties
☐ Statement of Amount in Controversy — required if amount is disputed or not apparent from complaint
☐ Request for Initial Scheduling and Case Management Order (ISCMO)
☐ Motion for Temporary Restraining Order / Preliminary Injunction — attach if emergency relief is sought simultaneously with complaint; bring to Emergency Duty Judge if truly emergent
☐ In Forma Pauperis Application / Approved Fee Waiver Order
☐ Notice of Related Cases (expanded, if more space needed than Section 6 provides)
☐ Summons — complete and submit for clerk issuance; one per defendant
☐ Waiver of Service Forms — if plaintiff elects to request waiver under SCR-Civ. Rule 4(d)

PRACTICAL E-FILING CHECKLIST (CaseFileXpress)

☐ Create or log into CaseFileXpress account at casefilexpress.com
☐ Select "DC Superior Court — Civil Division" as the filing court
☐ Select "New Case — Civil Complaint" as the filing type
☐ Upload Complaint as lead document (PDF/A format, searchable text)
☐ Upload this Cover Sheet as a separate attachment labeled "Civil Case Cover Sheet"
☐ Upload Summons form(s) — one per defendant — for clerk to issue
☐ Upload any emergency motions or fee waiver as separate attachments
☐ Submit payment of filing fee (credit card accepted through e-filing portal)
☐ Save the filing confirmation and Transaction ID for your records
☐ Serve file-stamped copy on each defendant within 60 days of filing per SCR-Civ. Rule 4

Paper Filing (Pro Se / Emergency):
☐ Use 8.5" × 11" paper, 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font
☐ Bring original + one copy per defendant + one copy for your records to:
Civil Actions Branch, Room 5000, 500 Indiana Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
☐ Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Clerk's window closes 4:30 p.m.)
☐ Emergency filings: Contact Emergency Duty Judge through the Clerk's office

QUICK REFERENCE — KEY DEADLINES AND CONTACTS

Court Contact Information:

Disclaimer: This template reflects DC Superior Court practice as of March 2026. Filing fees, local rules, ADR programs, and administrative procedures are subject to change. Always verify current requirements at dccourts.gov and with the Civil Actions Branch clerk before filing. This document does not constitute legal advice.

Sources: DC Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure (dccourts.gov); D.C. Code (code.dccouncil.gov); DC Courts website.