Civil Procedure
Sep. 8, 2026
Federal courts routinely grant sealing requests, Stanford study finds
Researchers found at least 90% of federal court motions to seal were granted, often without opposition and sometimes without identifying the legal standard supporting secrecy.
A sweeping study of federal court records suggests sealing has become routine in civil litigation, with judges granting at least 90% of requests to keep filings from public view -- often without opposition and sometimes without identifying the legal standard supporting secrecy.
The Stanford Law School researchers analyzed docket activity in more than 2 million federal civil cases filed between 2005 and 2011 and closely reviewed more than 600 sealing orders. About three-quarters of...
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