Procedures verified June 25, 2026
Judge Kathleen M. Williams -- United States District Court, Southern District of Florida
Courtroom 11-3, Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. United States Courthouse, 400 North Miami Avenue, Miami, FL 33128
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Key Traps — Where Counsel Gets Caught
- 1. Extensions of time filed less than 48 hours before the deadline risk sanctions -- even if uncontested and for good cause.
- 2. Notices of unavailability will be stricken. They do not operate as continuances or otherwise change the Court's schedule.
- 3. The Court will NOT retain jurisdiction to enforce confidential settlement agreements. Settlement terms must go on the record with a finite enforcement period.
- 4. All emails to chambers must copy all counsel and unrepresented parties -- with limited exception for permissible ex parte matters.
- 5. Motions in limine: one per side, up to 10 numbered evidentiary issues, maximum 20 pages. Counsel must confer on all issues before filing; only unresolved issues may be presented.
- 6. MSJ: contemporaneous separate statement of undisputed material facts required per L.R. 56.1. Opposing response must correspond by number. Disputed facts must state why the dispute is material.
Quick Reference
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Motion Days | No standing motion calendar. No hearing will be held on motions unless set by the Court. To request a hearing, include a separate section titled 'Request for Hearing' in your motion or opposition, setting forth the reasons a hearing is desired and estimating argument time. |
| Motion Limit | Per Local Rules (S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)): 20 pages maximum for motion and incorporated memorandum. |
| Reply Limit | Per Local Rules (S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)): 10 pages maximum. Motions for leave to file excess pages must specify the number of excess pages requested and explain why they are needed. |
| Chambers Copies | Conditional Not required. |
| Tentative Rulings | Not issued. FL-SD does not use a tentative ruling system. |
| Remote Appearances | Not specifically addressed in Judge Williams's published procedures (document dated June 2019). Current practice: follow any case-specific orders or contact chambers. |
| Discovery | All discovery referred to the assigned magistrate judge. Follow that magistrate's individual discovery procedures to determine whether written motions are permitted. |
Procedural Briefing by Motion Type
S.D. Fla. · Standing Orders
Procedural Requirements
Key Traps
Compare to Other S.D. Fla. Judges
Procedural facts only. Judges shown to illustrate variance in this district.
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Before You File
Motion Days & Times
No standing motion calendar. No hearing will be held on motions unless set by the Court. To request a hearing, include a separate section titled 'Request for Hearing' in your motion or opposition, setting forth the reasons a hearing is desired and estimating argument time.
Notice Period
Opposition due 14 days after service of the motion; reply due 7 days after service of the opposition. Per Local Rules.
Motion Page / Word Limit
Per Local Rules (S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)): 20 pages maximum for motion and incorporated memorandum.
Opposition Limit
Per Local Rules (S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)): 20 pages maximum.
Reply Limit
Per Local Rules (S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)): 10 pages maximum. Motions for leave to file excess pages must specify the number of excess pages requested and explain why they are needed.
Font & Formatting
Per Local Rules. Judge Williams's 2019 procedures document predates the current Local Rules revision. S.D. Fla. L.R. 5.1 applies (double-spaced, Times New Roman 12-point).
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At Filing
Chambers Copies
Conditional
Not required.
Proposed Orders
Microsoft Word format emailed to williams@flsd.uscourts.gov after the proposed order has been filed on the docket. Scheduling orders must use the standard format attached to the Court's procedures as Attachment A. [Williams Practices & Procedures p. 3]
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Before the Hearing
Tentative Rulings
Not issued. FL-SD does not use a tentative ruling system.
Oral Argument
No hearing held unless set by the Court. Request hearing in a separate section of your filing.
Remote Appearances
Not specifically addressed in Judge Williams's published procedures (document dated June 2019). Current practice: follow any case-specific orders or contact chambers.
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Background Rules
Chambers Contact
No substantive matters by phone or email unless expressly permitted by the Rules or a court order. Parties may not call chambers about matters ascertainable from the applicable rules or docket. Opposing counsel must be on the line for any call to chambers. All non-ex-parte emails must copy all counsel and unrepresented parties. Letters to chambers are not accepted. Only counsel of record may call chambers. [Williams Practices & Procedures p. 7]
Discovery Referral
All discovery referred to the assigned magistrate judge. Follow that magistrate's individual discovery procedures to determine whether written motions are permitted.
Discovery Dispute Procedure Submission-first
Governed entirely by the assigned magistrate judge's individual procedures. Check those procedures for the operative model (no-motion-without-leave, chambers-first, or traditional). Do not contact Judge Williams's chambers about discovery disputes.
Ex Parte Applications
Title must include 'ex parte.' Any ex parte letter received by chambers will be uploaded to the docket. All chamber emails, unless relating to permissible ex parte matters, must copy all counsel and unrepresented parties.
Settlement Notification
Notify chambers immediately by phone or email and promptly file a joint stipulation of dismissal. The Court will NOT retain jurisdiction to enforce confidential settlement agreements. If parties want enforcement jurisdiction, settlement terms must be placed on the record with a finite retention period. [Williams Practices & Procedures p. 7]
Under Seal Filings
Per S.D. Fla. L.R. 5.4. Each motion to seal must specify the requested sealing period. Indefinite sealing requires substantial showing of good cause. All motions to seal must be accompanied by a proposed redacted version; once granted, the redacted document must be filed on the public docket. [Williams Practices & Procedures p. 5]
Continuances & Calendar Conflicts
Absent an emergency, extension requests must be presented to the Court by motion no later than 48 hours before the deadline. Motions filed less than 48 hours out risk sanctions. All extension requests must include: (1) list of prior extensions and whether granted; (2) specific circumstances; (3) L.R. 7.1 conferral statement; (4) a specific (not indefinite) period requested. Once a Scheduling Order is entered, extensions are disfavored absent compelling circumstances. [Williams Practices & Procedures p. 3]
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AI & Style Preferences
Additional Notes
Sources: Judge Williams's Court Practices and Procedures for Civil Cases (12-page PDF, last updated June 2019). Document predates COVID-era remote appearance rules; remote appearance guidance may have been updated by case-specific orders. Verify any time-sensitive procedures directly with chambers.
Sources & Currency
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Procedures verified June 25, 2026.
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