Electronic Submission Mandate: Request for Further Action by Legal Counsel (Form RFA-1LC)

As announced via Board Subject Number 046-1636 on November 2, 2023, the Board is transitioning to the electronic submission of the Request for Further Action by Legal Counsel (Form RFA-1LC) as we continue to expand our eForm capabilities within the OnBoard family of services. Through this transition, the paper RFA-1LC form is moving to an online submission and routing process - providing fields for attorneys to enter pertinent information and allowing for quicker, more efficient Board processing and response.

The electronic submission mandate for attorneys/representatives will take effect later this year (exact date to be announced), and the Board will provide at least four weeks’ notice. After the effective date, the Board will not accept or act on paper RFA-1LC forms submitted by attorneys/representatives.

How can you prepare?

If you haven’t already done so, take time now to register for eCase. Once available, the electronic RFA-1LC can be submitted in eCase through an eForm which will result in the immediate validation and placement in the electronic case folder.

Attorneys/representatives will also have the option to submit the RFA-1LC through an Application Program Interface (API) service or through an XML file via sFTP transmission. This technology allows your firm’s computer system to transmit data directly to the Board, resulting in the form’s immediate validation and placement in eCase (if accepted), alleviating the need for manual eForm submission.

Visit the eForms page on the Board’s website to learn more about these submission options.

API & sFTP beta testers

Firms who wish to take advantage of API and sFTP submission are required to undergo testing before these submission options can be implemented. Updated data specifications for the electronic API and sFTP submission options have been published on the Board’s eForms page. By the end of July, we plan to post the registration instructions, test scenarios, and the minimum data required to submit and successfully pass the test. 

If you have not already contacted the Board to participate in the beta testing program, but are interested, please send an email to eforms@wcb.ny.gov by July 12th indicating your interest. Please note ‒ if you plan to submit the RFA-1LC in eCase, no testing is required.