District of New Jersey Local Rules — The Practitioner's Guide

NJ-D's local civil rules were last revised September 2, 2025. The 1997 restructuring grouped court-administration rules in the 100s range; that restructuring has been stable since, but the specific rules within those ranges are amended periodically.

Verification source: njd.uscourts.gov publishes the current local civil rules.

NJ-D uses district-uniform page limits with a distinctive non-conforming-font penalty.

Mechanics

• Main brief (Civ. R. 7.2(b)): 40 ordinary typed or printed pages, excluding pages required for the table of contents and authorities.
• Reply brief (Civ. R. 7.2(b); cross-references Civ. R. 7.1(d)(3)): 15 pages.
• Reconsideration brief (Civ. R. 7.2(b); cross-references Civ. R. 7.1(i)): 15 pages.
• Format requirements (Civ. R. 7.2(c)–(d)): Black lettering; 8.5 x 11 inch paper; one-inch margins; double-spaced text; single-spaced footnotes/inserts; typeface 12-point non-proportional (Courier New 12) or equivalent 14-point proportional (Times New Roman 14).
• Non-conforming font penalty (Civ. R. 7.2(d)): If a 12-point proportional font is used instead, page limits are reduced by 25% — the 40-page limit becomes 30 pages; the 15-page limit becomes 11.25 pages. Footnotes must be the same size as the text.

For the trap on font-substitution penalty, see Watchpoints #3.

For the rule, see the D.N.J. Local Civil Rules.

NJ-D is a submission court that runs on a motion-day calendar. Briefing deadlines count back from the noticed motion day rather than running forward from service.

Mechanics

• Motion-day notation (Civ. R. 7.1): Counsel must note the motion day on the cover page of the motion. Civ. R. 78.1 governs the motion-day calendar.
• Motion + supporting brief (Civ. R. 7.1(d)(1)): Filed with the Clerk at least 24 days before the noticed motion day.
• Opposition (Civ. R. 7.1(d)(2)): Filed at least 14 days before the original motion day, unless the Court orders otherwise or an automatic extension is obtained under Civ. R. 7.1(d)(5).
• Reply (Civ. R. 7.1(d)(3)): Reply brief notes the motion day on the cover page; filed in advance of motion day per the rule.
• Page limits (Civ. R. 7.2(b)): 40 pages (main brief), 15 pages (reply); reduced 25% for non-conforming font. See §1 Formatting & Page Limits.
• Oral argument (Civ. R. 78.1): *'No oral argument shall be heard except as permitted expressly by the Judge assigned to hear the motion.'* If oral argument is required, the parties shall be notified by the court. Argument may be conducted in open court or by telephone conference at the judge's discretion. Request for oral argument shall be clearly marked on the first page of the notice of motion and/or the brief.
• Discovery motions (Civ. R. 37.1): May be presented by telephone conference call or letter to the judge before formal motion practice. The presentation precedes any formal motion.

For the traps on motion-day notation and discovery telephone/letter presentation, see Watchpoints #2 and #6.

For the rule, see the D.N.J. Local Civil Rules.

NJ-D has individual judge standing orders that supplement the local rules. The rules are supplemented by the Civ. R. 78.1 motion-days framework and individual chambers procedures.

Where to look

• Individual judge pages: njd.uscourts.gov has individual judge pages.
• Magistrate judges: NJ-D's magistrate judges have specific procedures for case management and discovery.
• Standing orders: Check the assigned district and magistrate judge's standing orders.

NJ-D requires CM/ECF filing of all civil documents. Sealing is governed by Civ. R. 5.3, which is also the confidentiality-order rule — the two access-restriction procedures are unified.

Mechanics

• CM/ECF filing (Civ. R. 5.2): Mandatory.
• Sealing (Civ. R. 5.3): Confidentiality orders and motions to seal are governed by the same rule. The motion-to-seal is publicly filed; sealed material is filed under seal subject to the court's order.
• Discovery materials: Not filed unless used.

For the trap on the unified sealing/confidentiality regime, see Watchpoints #4.

NJ-D requires a Statement of Material Facts on every summary judgment motion. NJ-D is a district 56.1 framework jurisdiction with strict enforcement — failure to file the SMF results in dismissal.

Movant's filing (Civ. R. 56.1(a))

• Statement of material facts not in dispute.
• *'Failure to file [the SMF] shall be dismissed.'* The rule treats the SMF as the operative document.

Opposing party's filing (Civ. R. 56.1)

• Responsive statement of material facts addressing each paragraph of the movant's statement.

Reply (Civ. R. 56.1)

• Reply may include additional facts.

Format: Each statement of material facts is a separate document, not part of the brief.

What this rule is trying to accomplish

The 56.1 framework in NJ-D is enforced strictly. The rule's rationale is that the SMF is the operative document on summary judgment; counsel cannot rely on the brief alone, and failure to produce the SMF means failure to bring the motion correctly.

For the trap on the SMF dismissal rule, see Watchpoints #7.