Court Rules
district Judge
Verified Current3 hours ago

Judge Ana C. Reyes

Individual Rules, Standing Orders & Policies

District of Columbia

Limits & Logistics

Document Limits

Document
21 pgs
Brief
45 pgs

Courtesy Copies

Filings (>50 pages)

Required

Filings (All filings)

Required

Filings (Sealed Submission)

Required

Adjournments

Notice Required
4Business Days

Must Include

  • 1
    Reason For Request
  • 2
    Original Date
  • 3
    Number Of Previous Requests
  • 4
    Adversary Position
  • 5
    Proposed New Dates

Must Include

  • 1
    Reason For Request
  • 2
    Original Date
  • 3
    Number Of Previous Requests
  • 4
    Adversary Position
Notice Required
5Days
Notice Required
4Days

Must Include

  • 1
    Reason For Request
  • 2
    Affects Other Dates
Notice Required
45Days

Must Include

  • 1
    Reason For Request
  • 2
    Original Date
Notice Required
14Days

Must Include

  • 1
    Reason For Request
  • 2
    Adversary Position
Notice Required
10Days

Must Include

  • 1
    Reason For Request
  • 2
    Original Date
Notice Required
10Business Days

Communication

Phone

Chambers

Scheduling
Advance Notice Required
No Status Inquiries
Oral Argument

Chambers

Courtroom Decorum
No Prohibited Topics
In Person

Chambers

Pronouns
Email

Clerk

Chashawn_White@dcd.uscourts.gov
Scheduling
Advance Notice Required
No Status Inquiries
Filters:AllMandatoryImportantFormattingCommunicationExhibitsTRO/InjunctionBinders/TabsConferencesECF FilingCourtesy Copies

Detailed Drafting Rules

Communication ProtocolImportant

Telephone contact with Chambers generally prohibited except for emergencies.

Except as authorized in this Order, the parties may not contact Chambers by telephone. If extraordinary circumstances or emergencies so require, however, counsel may contact Chambers jointly via telephone conference. Chambers will not provide legal advice of any kind.

Phone

Direct to: Chambers

Approved Topics
SchedulingEmergenciesStatus InquiriesTechnical Issues
Requirements
  • Advance Notice Required
    joint_telephone_conference
Prohibited
  • Status Inquiries
Courtesy CopyMandatory

Two courtesy copies required for submissions over 50 pages.

Counsel for the moving party shall provide Chambers, not the Clerk’s Office, with two printed courtesy copies, with ECF headers, of any electronic submission that, along with exhibits, numbers fifty (50) pages or more in total length.

Courtesy Copies Required

When: Page Threshold > 50
Logistics
Quantity2 Copy
TimingUpon Filing
MethodHand Delivery
Appearance
ECF HeaderRequired
Format RequirementMandatory

Briefs must be indexed, tabbed, double-sided, and in B&W/greyscale.

Briefs and exhibits shall be indexed and tabbed for ease of reference. Pages should be double-sided and in either black and white or greyscale, unless color would aid the Court’s review (e.g., charts and photographs).

Applies When:Document Type Set Undefined
Typography
Font FamilyTimes New Roman
Size12 pt
Line SpacingDouble
Layout & Binding
Margins
Top:1"
Left:1.5"
Right:1"
Bottom:1"
Binding Style
Stapled
Format RequirementNote

Preferred A5 coil-bound; accept 3-ring binders up to 2-inch.

The Court prefers A5 coil-bound courtesy copies; however, the Court will also accept three-ring binders (no larger than two-inch). See Exhibit A for sample images. Before providing any courtesy copy that would exceed three coil-bound copies or three two-inch binders, counsel shall contact Chambers for instruction.

Applies When:Document Type Set Undefined
Layout & Binding
Binding Style
[Object Object]
Document RequirementMandatory

One 3-ring binder of key cases (tabbed, alphabetical, indexed) required.

The moving party shall also provide one jointly-prepared, three-ring binder comprised of key cases. The cases should be tabbed and in alphabetical order, and the binder should include an index. Pages should be single-sided.

Document Type

Key Cases Binder

Content & Formatting
Index
Table Of Contents
Page or Word LimitMandatory

Support/opposition memoranda limited to 45 pages; reply memoranda limited to 25 pages.

Absent leave of the Court, memoranda of points and authorities in support of, and in opposition to, motions may not exceed 45 pages, and reply memoranda may not exceed 25 pages. See LCvR 7(e).

Format RequirementMandatory

Motions must be double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, with 1-inch margins and two spaces between sentences.

Motions and submissions should be double-spaced, in 12-point, Times New Roman font, with page numbers and margins of no less than 1 inch, and two spaces between sentences.

Typography
Font FamilyTimes New Roman
Size12 pt
Line SpacingDouble
Layout & Binding
Margins
Top:1"
Left:1"
Right:1"
Bottom:1"
Format RequirementMandatory

All electronically filed documents must be in text-searchable PDF format.

All electronically filed documents are to be in text-searchable Portable Data Format (“PDF”).

Required Format

PDF

Format RequirementNote

Paper exhibits should be submitted as text-searchable files using OCR technology when possible.

exhibits that must be scanned because they exist only in paper format should, if possible, be submitted as text-searchable files using Optical Character Recognition (“OCR”) technology, available in Adobe Acrobat.

Pre-Motion ProcedureMandatory

Pre-motion conference required for dispositive motions; 4-page notice and 1-week response required.

f. Pre-Motion Conference. If a party wishes to file a dispositive motion, it must request that the Court schedule a pre-motion conference. To so request, the moving party shall submit a short notice via ECF, not to exceed four double-spaced pages in length, setting forth the basis for the anticipated motion, including the legal standards and the claims at issue. Other parties shall respond by filing, within one week, a document of similar length setting forth their anticipated responses to the proposed motion. The Court will review and discuss with counsel the anticipated motion at the pre-motion conference, which will take place in-person unless the Court grants permission to hold the conference by video. The parties should contact Judge Reyes’ Courtroom Deputy to schedule the conference for a date 1-2 weeks after the response is filed. This requirement shall not apply to incarcerated pro se litigants or immigration mandamus cases.

Pre-Motion Conference

A pre-motion conference is mandatory before filing. You must submit a letter first.

Letter Requirements

Status
Required
Max Length4 pgs
Opposition Due7 days

Exemptions

Case: Pro SeCase: Immigration Mandamus
Communication ProtocolNote

Court may reference Red Sox history during oral argument; Game 6 of 1986 World Series is prohibited.

The Court understands that, for reasons passing understanding, not all counsel are fans of the Boston Red Sox. Counsel should be aware, however, that the Court may reference key moments in Red Sox history during oral argument. References may include: (a) Dave Roberts’s steal; (b) Carlton Fisk’s walk-off homerun; (c) Ted Williams’s final at-bat; 3 and, inter alia, (d) David Ortiz’s “this is our [bleep] city” speech. Any reference to Game 6 of the 1986 World Series is strictly prohibited.

Oral Argument

Approved Topics
Courtroom Decorum
Prohibited
  • Prohibited Topics
Communication ProtocolNote

Counsel may share preferred pronouns with Courtroom Deputy upon arrival.

Upon arrival to the courtroom, counsel may share their preferred pronouns with the Courtroom Deputy.

In Person

Approved Topics
Pronouns

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