Court Rules
About Senior United States District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan

**Senior Judge Emmet G. Sullivan** was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by President William J. Clinton on June 16, 1994. He was the first D.C. appointee selected by three different presidents to three separate judicial positions. Judge Sullivan served as an Associate Judge on the D.C. Court of Appeals from 1991 to 1994, and as an Associate Judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia from 1984 to 1991. Before his judicial career, he was a partner at Houston & Gardner and Houston, Sullivan & Gardner law firms. He has served as Chair of the Judicial Nomination Commission from 2005 to 2022. **Education** - Howard University School of Law, J.D., 1971 - Howard University, B.A. in Political Science, 1968 **Career** - Senior Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia - Chair, Judicial Nomination Commission (2005–2022) - U.S. District Judge (1994–present) - Associate Judge, D.C. Court of Appeals (1991–1994) - Associate Judge, Superior Court of the District of Columbia (1984–1991) - Partner, Houston, Sullivan & Gardner (1980–1984) - Partner, Houston & Gardner (1973–1980) - Law clerk to Superior Court Judge James A. Washington, Jr. (1972) - Reginald Heber Smith Fellow, Neighborhood Legal Services Program (1971)

**Courthouse:** E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse, 333 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001 **Phone:** (202) 354-3260

Common questions about Judge Emmet G. Sullivan's rules

Does Judge Emmet G. Sullivan require a pre-motion conference or letter before filing a motion?

Judge Emmet G. Sullivan's rules set a pre-motion procedure for discovery. Parties must confer in good faith before seeking Court involvement in a discovery dispute.

View ruleSource: page 6, section Discovery disputes

What formatting rules apply to filings before Judge Emmet G. Sullivan?

Judge Emmet G. Sullivan's formatting rule includes times new roman font, 12 point type, double spacing and margins top 1 inches, bottom 1 inches, left 1 inches, right 1 inches. All court submissions must be double-spaced, use 12-point Times New Roman, and have one-inch margins.

View ruleSource: page 6, section 11. Motions Generally

What must be included with amended submission filings before Judge Emmet G. Sullivan?

The rule identifies required filing content or certificates. Amended submissions must include a redline comparing the original and amended pleading.

View ruleSource: page 3, section 6. Amended Submissions

What must be included with rule 16 3 report filings before Judge Emmet G. Sullivan?

The rule requires proposed order. Parties must submit a Rule 16.3 report and proposed scheduling order by the stated deadlines unless the Court orders otherwise.

View ruleSource: page 5, section 7. Scheduling Conference

How may parties contact Judge Emmet G. Sullivan's chambers?

Parties may contact Judge Emmet G. Sullivan's chambers by phone only as allowed by the rule. Ex parte communications, including ex parte telephone calls to chambers, are prohibited.

View ruleSource: page 2, section 3. Communications with Chambers

How does Judge Emmet G. Sullivan handle sealed or redacted filings?

Judge Emmet G. Sullivan's rules set procedures for sealed or redacted filings. Favorable information the government seeks to withhold must be submitted to the Court for in camera review.

View ruleSource: page 6, section ORDER

How do I request an adjournment or extension before Judge Emmet G. Sullivan?

Judge Emmet G. Sullivan's rules specify what an adjournment or extension request must include. Extensions of time must be requested by motion and cannot be obtained by party stipulation alone.

View ruleSource: page 6, section 10. Motions for Extension of Time

What rule applies to serving all parties before Judge Emmet G. Sullivan?

The rule addresses service method, recipient, or timing requirements. Details: recipient: all parties. A removing defendant must promptly ensure all parties receive a copy of the Standing Order.

View ruleSource: page 3, section Removed Actions
Complete rules summary for Judge Emmet G. Sullivan

When the standing order is docketed before defendants appear, plaintiffs must provide it with or promptly after service of the complaint.

Ex parte communications, including ex parte telephone calls to chambers, are prohibited.

Parties may not use telephone calls to communicate with the Court about pending-matter status, scheduling, or order clarification.

Emergency telephone contact with chambers is allowed only when all counsel and pro se parties are on the call.

If all parties cannot join an emergency call, parties must call the Courtroom Deputy Clerk at the listed number (or his substitute).

When that circumstance arises, parties must call the Courtroom Deputy Clerk (or designated substitute) for instructions.

CM/ECF questions must be directed to the CM/ECF Help Line rather than Chambers.

Amended submissions must include a redline comparing the original and amended pleading.

Parties must submit a Rule 16.3 report and proposed scheduling order by the stated deadlines unless the Court orders otherwise.

The Rule 16.3 report must include a brief statement of the case.

Parties must confer in good faith before seeking Court involvement in a discovery dispute.

Discovery-dispute motions require leave of Court before filing.

Extensions of time must be requested by motion and cannot be obtained by party stipulation alone.

Continuance or scheduling-change motions should be filed at least three business days in advance, include mutually acceptable alternative dates, and may be denied if they do not.

All court submissions must be double-spaced, use 12-point Times New Roman, and have one-inch margins.

Memoranda of points and authorities at or above ten pages must include both a table of contents and a table of authorities.

Submissions with more than one exhibit must include an exhibit index.

A summary judgment movant must file a separate Statement of Material Facts Not in Dispute.

The Statement of Material Facts Not in Dispute must be in a two-column table format.

The moving party must present each claimed undisputed material fact in separately numbered left-column rows with record citations.

Each numbered row in the statement may contain only one undisputed factual assertion.

After filing, the moving party must promptly provide the opposing party an editable electronic copy of the statement.

The opposing party must file a separate Counter-Statement of Disputed Facts.

When partially admitting and partially denying a fact, the opposing party must identify admitted and denied portions with record citations.

Additional facts must be placed at the end of the responsive statement in consecutively numbered right-column rows.

The counter-statement must end with a list of material facts that the opposing party contends are genuinely disputed for trial.

After filing, the opposing party must promptly provide the moving party an editable electronic copy of the counter-statement.

The moving party must file a separate reply to the counter-statement with left-column responses and appropriate citations to additional facts.

Documents may not be faxed to chambers unless the Court expressly requests them.

If the Court requests documents, parties must contact the Courtroom Deputy Clerk for instructions.

More Judges in District of Columbia

Amir H. Ali
Judge
Ana C. Reyes
Judge
Barbara J. Rothstein
Visiting
Beryl A. Howell
Senior Judge
Colleen Kollar-Kotelly
Senior Judge
Dabney L. Friedrich
Judge
James E. Boasberg
Chief Judge
Randolph D. Moss
Judge