Procedures verified June 25, 2026
Judge David S. Leibowitz -- United States District Court, Southern District of Florida
Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. United States Courthouse, 400 North Miami Avenue, Miami, FL 33128
warning
Key Traps — Where Counsel Gets Caught
- 1. No published civil procedures. Only criminal procedures are published on chambers page. Civil practice follows the Local Rules and the case scheduling order entirely.
- 2. Do not assume the published criminal procedures (72-hour extension deadline) apply to civil cases. Confirm the applicable deadline in the civil scheduling order.
Quick Reference
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Motion Days | No published individual civil procedures. Per S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(b)(1): no hearing held unless set by the Court. Request hearing in a separate titled section of your motion or opposition. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(b)(1)] |
| Motion Limit | Per S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2): 20 pages maximum for motion and incorporated memorandum. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)] |
| Reply Limit | Per S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2): 10 pages maximum. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)] |
| Chambers Copies | ✗ Not required Not published for civil matters. |
| Tentative Rulings | Not issued. FL-SD does not use a tentative ruling system. |
| Remote Appearances | No published individual civil procedures. Follow any case-specific scheduling order. |
| Discovery | All discovery referred to the assigned magistrate judge. Follow that magistrate's individual discovery procedures. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(b)(3)] |
Procedural Briefing by Motion Type
C.D. Cal. · Standing Orders
Procedural Requirements
Key Traps
Compare to Other C.D. Cal. Judges
Procedural facts only. Judges shown to illustrate variance in this district.
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Before You File
Motion Days & Times
No published individual civil procedures. Per S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(b)(1): no hearing held unless set by the Court. Request hearing in a separate titled section of your motion or opposition. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(b)(1)]
Notice Period
Per S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(1): opposition due 14 days after service; reply due 7 days after service of the opposition. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(1)]
Motion Page / Word Limit
Per S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2): 20 pages maximum for motion and incorporated memorandum. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)]
Opposition Limit
Per S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2): 20 pages maximum. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)]
Reply Limit
Per S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2): 10 pages maximum. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)]
Font & Formatting
Per S.D. Fla. L.R. 5.1 (double-spaced, Times New Roman 12-point).
Footnote Policy
Not specified.
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At Filing
Chambers Copies
✗ Not required
Not published for civil matters.
Proposed Orders
Per S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(a)(2): Word format emailed to leibowitz@flsd.uscourts.gov after filing on docket. (Verified from published criminal procedures, which confirm this standard; no separate civil procedures published.) [Judge Leibowitz -- Chambers Page] [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(a)(2)]
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Before the Hearing
Tentative Rulings
Not issued. FL-SD does not use a tentative ruling system.
Prohibition / Ex Parte Contact Re Tentatives
N/A.
Oral Argument
Per S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(b)(2): no hearing unless set by the Court. Request in a separate titled section. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(b)(2)]
Remote Appearances
No published individual civil procedures. Follow any case-specific scheduling order.
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Background Rules
Chambers Contact
No published individual civil procedures. Follow Federal Rules, Local Rules, and any case-specific administrative orders.
Discovery Referral
All discovery referred to the assigned magistrate judge. Follow that magistrate's individual discovery procedures. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(b)(3)]
Discovery Dispute Procedure District-default
Governed by the assigned magistrate judge's individual procedures. Check those procedures for the operative model.
Ex Parte Applications
Per S.D. Fla. L.R. 5.4(d): Include 'ex parte' in title; restricted from public docket upon submission. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 5.4(d)]
Settlement Notification
No published individual civil procedures. Follow any case-specific scheduling order instructions.
Lead Counsel
Not specified.
Under Seal Filings
Per S.D. Fla. L.R. 5.4.
Continuances & Calendar Conflicts
No published individual civil procedures. (Note: published criminal procedures require extension/continuance requests by motion no later than 72 hours before the deadline. Civil practice follows the scheduling order.)
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AI & Style Preferences
AI Disclosure Requirement
Not specified.
Additional Notes
Judge Leibowitz has published individual procedures for criminal matters only. Civil practice governed entirely by the S.D. Fla. Local Rules and any case-specific administrative orders. Proposed orders to leibowitz@flsd.uscourts.gov in Word format per L.R. 7.1(a)(2).
Sources & Currency
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Procedures verified June 25, 2026.
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