Eastern District of Texas Page & Word Limits

Each side gets 15-20 minutes for voir dire after court's preliminary examination.

Source text: Following the court's examination, each side will be allowed from fifteen (15) to twenty (20) minutes to examine the panel.

Judge Crone's courtroom limits spectators to 12, requires 6-foot distancing, and prohibits those under 18.

Source text: Cases before United States District Judge Marcia A. Crone - Limit of twelve (12) spectators, sitting six (6) feet apart. No persons under 18 years of age will be permitted in the courtroom; and

Motions to Strike limited to 12 pages (excluding attachments); responses limited to 12 pages; replies/sur-replies limited to 5 pages.

Source text: a. A Motion to Strike shall not exceed twelve pages, excluding attachments, unless leave of court is first obtained. Likewise, responses to such motions shall not exceed twelve pages, excluding attachments, unless leave of court is obtained first. Any reply or sur-reply brief to a Motion to Strike shall not exceed five pages, excluding attachments.

Multiple Motions to Strike limited to 24 pages collectively; responses limited to 24 pages; replies/sur-replies limited to 10 pages collectively.

Source text: b. If a side files more than one Motion to Strike, that side’s Motions to Strike shall not exceed 24 pages collectively, excluding attachments. Responses to such motions shall not exceed 24 pages collectively, excluding attachments. Reply briefs shall not exceed ten pages collectively, excluding attachments, and sur-reply briefs shall not exceed ten pages collectively, excluding attachments.

Judge Crone's courtroom limits spectators to 12, requires 6-foot distancing, and prohibits those under 18.

Source text: Cases before United States District Judge Marcia A. Crone - Limit of twelve (12) spectators, sitting six (6) feet apart. No persons under 18 years of age will be permitted in the courtroom; and

Unresolved objections to deposition extracts are due 2 weeks before docket call.

Source text: File unresolved objections to oral and video deposition extracts.

Motions to transfer must be filed within 1 week after management conference.

Source text: ____________________ Deadline for motions to transfer (1 week after mgmt conf.)

Deadline to add parties is 6 weeks after management conference.

Source text: ____________________ Deadline to add parties (6 weeks after mgmt conf.)

Expert witness designation deadline is 10 weeks after management conference.

Source text: ____________________ Deadline to designate expert witnesses and reports on (10 weeks after mgmt conf.) issues for which the party bears the burden of proof, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(a)(2) and Local Rule CV-26(b).

Plaintiffs must file amended pleadings by 12 weeks after management conference without needing a motion for leave.

Source text: ____________________ Deadline for Plaintiffs to file amended pleadings. A motion for leave to amend is not necessary. (12 weeks after mgmt conf.)

Deposition designations for non-live witnesses are due 4 weeks before docket call.

Source text: For witnesses who are not going to be called live, oral and video deposition designations due.

Objections to expert witnesses must be filed within 7 weeks of expert disclosure via motion to strike/limit with expert report attached.

Source text: 7 weeks after disclosure of an expert is made Deadline to object to any other party’s expert witnesses. Objections shall be made by a motion to strike or limit expert testimony and shall be accompanied by a copy of the expert’s report in order to provide the court with all the information necessary to make a ruling on any objection. The court will not accept objections to experts filed in any form—i.e., motions in limine—after this date.

Deadline for dispositive motions is 18 weeks after management conference.

Source text: Deadline for motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, or other dispositive motions.

Motions in limine are due 6 weeks before docket call.

Source text: Motions in limine due.

Responses to motions in limine are due 3 weeks before docket call.

Source text: Response to motions in limine due.

Be judicious in exceeding page limits; brevity preferred.

Source text: Finally, the Court requests that the parties be judicious in their requests to exceed the page limits provided for in the local rules. In this Court, less is better.

Page limit extensions granted only in exceptional circumstances.

Source text: Motions to extend page limits will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances require more than agreement among the parties.