Rule 3. Commencement of Action

(a) Complaint; Filing Period. A civil action in this court shall be commenced by filing a complaint with the Clerk of the Court. See Rule 77(f)(2).

(b) Date of Filing. (1) The records of the clerk, including the date stamped on the complaint, shall be final and conclusive evidence of the date on which a complaint was filed, in the absence of the filing and allowance of a motion under subdivision (b)(2) of this rule.

(2)(A) A party plaintiff who contends that the effective date of plaintiff's complaint should properly be a date earlier than that shown by the clerk's records may seek a corrective order from the court by means of a motion.

(B) Upon motion of a party plaintiff supported by a proper showing that the clerk's records are factually incorrect, the court will correct the records by order.

(C) In a situation where a complaint is stamped by the clerk after the last date allowed by a statute of limitations for the filing of the complaint, if the complaint was received by the clerk through the mail, it may, by order of court, upon motion of the party plaintiff, be deemed to have been filed on the last date allowed if there is a proper showing (i) that the complaint was sent by registered or certified mail, properly addressed to the clerk at 717 Madison Place, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, and with return receipt requested; (ii) that it was deposited in the mail sufficiently in advance of the last date allowed for filing to provide for receipt by the clerk on or before such date in the ordinary course of the mail; and (iii) that the party plaintiff as sender exercised no control over the mailing between the deposit of the complaint in the mail and its delivery.

(c) Copies. Plaintiff shall file an original and 7 copies of the complaint, the original of which shall be accompanied by the completed cover sheet as shown in Appendix K utilizing the Cover Sheet Information. See Rule 83.