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S.D.N.Y. · Judge Daniels · Practice Guide

Hon. George B. Daniels

All local rules for S.D.N.Y., integrated with this judge's published requirements.

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Before You File
Ex parte applications
🏛 S.D.N.Y. local rule

(d) No ex parte order, or order to show cause to bring on a motion, will be granted, except upon a clear and specific showing by affidavit that contains good and sufficient reasons why a procedure other than by notice of motion is necessary and states whether a previous application for similar relief has been made. Local Civil Rule 6.1(d) ↗

Contacting chambers
👤 Judge Daniels — standing order

II. COMMUNICATIONS WITH CHAMBERS A. Letters. All communications with Chambers shall be filed by letter electronically on ECF. In addition, the following rules apply: i. Letters submitted to Chambers shall state clearly in the subject line: (1) the caption of the case, including the docket number and names of the lead parties; and (2) a brief description of the contents of the letter. Letters that pertain to multiple cases shall list all relevant docket numbers in the subject line. ii. In multi-defendant criminal matters, letters that pertain only to an individual defendant shall identify the docket number specific to that individual defendant (e.g., 1:14-cr-12345-01) and include the defendant's name. iii. Copies of correspondence solely between counsel shall not be filed on ECF or sent to Chambers (except as exhibits to a properly filed document). B. Telephone Calls. Telephone calls to Chambers are permitted only in emergency situations requiring immediate attention. i. The following calls to Chambers are never permitted: 1. Ex parte calls (absent extraordinary justification, counsel for all affected parties should be on the line when a call to Chambers is placed, except that similarly situated parties may designate a lead counsel to represent them on such a call); 2. Calls from pro se litigants (pro se litigants should call the Office of Pro Se Litigation at (212) 805-0175 for questions regarding their cases); 3. Calls requesting substantive or procedural legal advice; 4. Calls requesting updates regarding the status of filings; and 5. Questions about how to file case documents electronically. Electronic Case Filing questions should be directed to the ECF Help Desk at (212) 805-0136.

Drafting the Motion
Length limits — motion, opposition, reply
🏛 S.D.N.Y. local rule
Motion

(c) Length of Memoranda of Law. If filed by an attorney or prepared with a computer, briefs in support of and in response to a motion (except for motions for reconsideration) may not exceed 8,750 words, and reply briefs may not exceed 3,500 words. Local Civil Rule 7.1(c) ↗

Opposition

(c) Length of Memoranda of Law. If filed by an attorney or prepared with a computer, briefs in support of and in response to a motion (except for motions for reconsideration) may not exceed 8,750 words, and reply briefs may not exceed 3,500 words. Local Civil Rule 7.1(c) ↗

Reply

(c) Length of Memoranda of Law. If filed by an attorney or prepared with a computer, briefs in support of and in response to a motion (except for motions for reconsideration) may not exceed 8,750 words, and reply briefs may not exceed 3,500 words. Local Civil Rule 7.1(c) ↗

Filing & Scheduling
Briefing schedule & hearing date
🏛 S.D.N.Y. local rule
Notice period

Except for letter-motions as permitted by Local Civil Rule 7.1(d), and unless provided otherwise by statute or rule, or by the court in a judge’s individual practices or in a direction in a particular case, motion papers must be served and filed as follows: (a) On all motions and applications under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26 through 37 and 45(d)(3), (1) all motion papers must be served by the moving party on all other parties that have appeared in the action, (2) any opposing or response papers must be served within seven days after service of the moving papers, and (3) any reply papers must be served within two days after service of the answering papers. In computing periods of days, refer to Fed. R. Civ. P. 6. (b) On all civil motions, petitions, and applications, other than those described in Rule 6.1(a), and other than petitions for writs of habeas corpus, (1) the moving papers must be served by the moving party on all other parties that have appeared in the action, (2) any opposing or response papers must be served within 14 days after service of the moving papers, and (3) any reply papers must be served within seven days after service of the answering papers. Local Civil Rule 6.1 (introductory clause) and 6.1(a)-(b) ↗

Hearing days

Silent on fixed motion hearing days. Local Civil Rules 6.1, 7.1 (silent) ↗

Proposed orders
🏛 S.D.N.Y. local rule

Local Civil Rule 77.1. Submission of Orders, Judgments and Decrees Proposed orders, judgments, and decrees must be presented as directed by the ECF rules published on the website of each respective court. Local Civil Rule 77.1 ↗

Filing under seal
👤 Judge Daniels — standing order

D. Filing Under Seal/Redactions i. Sealing/Redactions Not Requiring Court Approval. The parties are referred to the E-Government Act of 2002, Rule 5.2 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Southern District's ECF Privacy Policy ("Privacy Policy"). There are two categories of information that may be redacted from public court filings without prior permission from this Court: "sensitive information" and information requiring "caution." Parties should not include in their public filings, unless necessary, the five categories of "sensitive information" (i.e., social security numbers [use the last four digits only], names of minor children [use the initials only], dates of birth [use the year only], financial account numbers [use the last four digits only], and home addresses [use only the City and State]). Parties may also, without prior Court approval, redact from their public filings the six categories of information requiring caution described in the Privacy Policy (i.e., any personal identifying number, medical records [including information regarding treatment and diagnosis], employment history, individual financial information, proprietary or trade secret information, and information regarding an individual's cooperation with the government). ii. Sealing/Redactions Requiring Court Approval. Except for redactions permitted by the previous Paragraph, all redactions or sealing of public court filings require Court approval. To be approved, any redaction or sealing of a court filing must be narrowly tailored to serve whatever purpose justifies the redaction or sealing and must be otherwise consistent with the presumption in favor of public access to judicial documents. See, e.g., Lugosch v. Pyramid Co. of Onondaga, 435 F.3d 110, 119-20 (2d Cir. 2006). In general, the parties' consent or the fact that information is subject to a confidentiality agreement between litigants is not, by itself, a valid basis to overcome the presumption in favor of public access to judicial documents. See, e.g., In re Gen. Motors LLC Ignition Switch Litig., No. 14-MD-2543(JMF), 2015 WL 4750774, at *4 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 11, 2015). Any party seeking to file a document under seal or in redacted form shall proceed as follows: 1. Meet and Confer. The party seeking leave to file sealed or redacted materials should meet and confer with any opposing parties (or any third party seeking confidential treatment of the information) in advance to narrow the scope of the request. When a party seeks leave to file sealed or redacted materials on the ground that an opposing party or third party has requested it, that party shall notify the opposing party or third party that it must file, within three days, a letter explaining the need to seal or redact the materials. 2. Sealed Document(s). The party shall electronically file a letter motion seeking leave to file a document under seal on ECF in accordance with Standing Order 19-MC-583 and Section 6 of the S.D.N.Y. Electronic Case Filing Rules and Instructions. The letter motion itself shall be filed in public view, should explain the reasons for seeking to file the document under seal, and should not include confidential information. The proposed sealed document shall be separately and contemporaneously filed under seal on ECF (with the appropriate level of restriction) and electronically related to the motion (or to the relevant Court order if this Court previously granted leave to file the document under seal). Note that the summary docket text, but not the document itself, will be open to public inspection and, thus, the summary docket text should not include confidential information sought to be filed under seal. 3. Redacted Document(s). Where a party seeks leave to file a document in redacted form, the party shall electronically file a letter motion seeking leave to file a document in redacted form on ECF in accordance with Standing Order 19-MC-583 and Section 6 of the S.D.N.Y. Electronic Case Filing Rules and Instructions. The letter motion itself shall be filed in public view, should explain the reasons for seeking to file the document in redacted form, and should not include confidential information. At the same time, the party shall (1) publicly file on ECF and electronically relate to the letter motion a copy of the document with the proposed redactions; and (2) file under seal on ECF (with the appropriate level of restriction) and electronically relate to the motion an unredacted copy of the document with the proposed redactions highlighted. iii. Submission by Other Manner. Any party unable to comply with the requirement for electronic filing under seal through the ECF system, or who believes that a particular document should not be electronically filed at all, must move for leave of the Court to file in the traditional manner, on paper.

The Hearing
Oral argument
🏛 S.D.N.Y. local rule

Silent on oral argument default. Local Civil Rules 6.1, 7.1 (silent) ↗

Discovery
Discovery dispute procedure
👤 Judge Daniels — standing order

A. Pre-Motion Conferences in Civil Cases. For discovery motions, follow Local Civil Rule 37.2. For motions other than discovery motions, pre-motion conferences are not required.

More from Judge Daniels’s procedures
👤 Judge Daniels — standing order
Adjournment extension procedure

C. Requests for Adjournment or Extension of Time. All requests for adjournments or extensions of time shall be in writing and electronically filed as a "letter" rather than a "letter motion" no later than 48 hours in advance of the conference. To file a letter electronically, counsel should make the following selections on ECF: civil > civil events > other filings > other documents > letter. If the requested adjournment or extension affects any other scheduled dates, a Proposed Amended Scheduling Order shall be attached to the request. In addition, the request shall clearly state: i. the original date of the appearance or deadline; ii. the number of previous requests for adjournment or extension; iii. whether these previous requests were granted or denied; and iv. whether opposing counsel consents, and, if not, the reasons provided by opposing counsel for withholding consent. Source ↗

Courtesy copies details

III. COURTESY COPIES A. Please note that due to ongoing concerns with COVID-19 we are not accepting courtesy copies until further notice. Please check Judge Daniels' Individual Rules and Practices regularly for any changes to this policy. Source ↗

Motion word page limits

§IV.B: Unless prior permission has been granted, memoranda of law in support of and in opposition to motions are limited to 25 pages, and reply memoranda are limited to 10 pages. Memoranda of 10 pages or more shall contain a table of contents. Sur-reply memoranda will not be accepted without prior permission of this Court. Source ↗

Pre motion procedure

§IV.A: For discovery motions, follow Local Civil Rule 37.2. For motions other than discovery motions, pre-motion conferences are not required. B. Memoranda of Law. Unless prior permission has been granted, memoranda of law in support of and in opposition to motions are limited to 25 pages, and reply memoranda are limited to 10 pages. Memoranda of 10 pages or more shall contain a table of contents. Sur-reply memoranda will not be accepted without prior permission of this Court. Source ↗

Know Before You Go
👤 Judge Daniels — deviations that burn people
  • [RSRCH synthesis] COVID courtesy copy suspension from 2020 still in effect -- verify current status (§III.A). Page limits are PAGE-based (25 pp opening/opposition, 10 pp reply) not word-based -- unusual (§IV.B). Adjournment request must be filed as a 'letter' not a 'letter motion' on ECF (§II.C). No pre-motion conference except for discovery motions (§IV.A). Phone calls only for emergencies -- ex parte, pro se, advice, and status calls never permitted (§II.B). No express rule on oral argument scheduling -- §IV.D is absent from the SO. §IV.E: Junior lawyers are encouraged to argue where familiar with the matter; Judge Daniels is amenable to permitting more than one lawyer to argue for a party in such circumstances.
content assembled from published local rules & standing orders · click any section in the rail for the full treatment
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