Judge Sidney H. Stein
Individual Rules, Standing Orders & Policies
- Rules last changed:
Limits & Logistics
Document Limits
Courtesy Copies
Complaint
- 1 copy • Mail • Within 5 Business Days
Motion
- Mail • As Soon as Practical
Adjournments
- Adjournment/extension requests must be filed as ECF letter motions with specific required elements and proposed revised scheduling order if affecting other dates.
Request must include
- Adjournment requests for court appearances require 48-hour advance notice unless emergency.
Page & Word Limits1 rule
Memoranda of law word/page limits: attorney/computer (8,750/3,500 words), pro se/handwritten (25/10 pages). Tables of contents/authorities excluded from limits.
- Word limit (computer-generated) for attorneys
- Up to 8,750 words
- Reply brief (computer-generated) for attorneys
- Up to 3,500 words
- Page limit (handwritten) for self-represented parties
- Up to 25 pages
- Reply brief (handwritten) for self-represented parties
- Up to 10 pages
- Memorandum of law
Excluded from the limit
- •Table of contents
- •Table of authorities
Court's wording
Memoranda of law in support of and in opposition to motions, if filed by an attorney or prepared with a computer, may not exceed 8,750 words, and reply briefs may not exceed 3,500 words. If filed by a party who is not represented by an attorney and handwritten or prepared with a typewriter, memoranda of law in support of and in opposition to motions may not exceed 25 pages, and reply memoranda may not exceed 10 pages. Memoranda that are 3,500 words or more or 10 pages or more shall contain a table of contents and a table of authorities, which are not included in these page or word limits. However, footnotes and endnotes are included in these limits.
Document Filing Requirements5 rules
Joint pretrial order due 45 days before trial including case caption and trial counsel contact information.
- Document
- Joint pretrial order
Must include
- •Caption
Court's wording
45 days prior to trial, the parties shall submit to the Court for its approval a joint pretrial order that includes the following information: i. The full caption of the action. ii. The names, addresses (including firm names), and telephone numbers of trial counsel.
Each party shall file its motion papers at the same time as they are served.
Discovery disputes require meet-and-confer first, then max 3-page ECF letter with representation of unsuccessful meet-and-confer; opposing party has 2 business days to respond.
Court's wording
Any party wishing to raise a discovery dispute with the Court must first meet and confer in good faith with the opposing party, in person if the attorneys practice in New York, in an effort to resolve the dispute. If this meet-and-confer process does not resolve the dispute, any party may submit a letter to the Court via ECF, no longer than three pages, explaining the nature of the dispute and requesting an informal conference. Such letter must include a representation that the meet-and-confer process occurred and was unsuccessful. If the opposing party wishes to respond to the letter, it must do so within two business days.
Default judgment motions require 10-day notice and specific filing requirements.
- Document
- Default judgment motion
Must include
- •Notice of motion
- •Clerk certificate of default
- •Proposed form of default judgment
Court's wording
pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55(b)(2) and Local Civil Rule 55.2(b) shall move, on notice to the adversary, specifying a return date at least 10 days from the date of service, returnable at 9:30 a.m. in Courtroom 23A. The motion shall include: (a) the notice of motion; (b) a completed clerk’s certificate of default; (c) the claim to which no response has been made; and (d) a proposed form of default judgment.
Oral argument may be requested by letter when filing motion papers; Court decides whether to grant.
Court's wording
Parties may request oral argument by letter at the time their moving or opposing or reply papers are filed. The Court will determine whether argument will be heard and, if so, will advise counsel of the argument date.
Filing & Service rules
Courtesy Copy Requirements
Paper copy of initiating pleadings must be submitted to chambers within 5 business days of electronic filing.
After a civil case has been electronically filed and assigned to Judge Stein, the filing attorney shall submit a paper copy of the initiating pleadings to chambers within five business days of the filing. The paper copy shall be submitted in accordance with SDNY policies regarding mail deliveries.
Civil cases
Page 2 | Motions & Pleadings
Courtesy copies required for fully briefed motions, submitted as soon as practical per SDNY mail policies.
The moving party shall furnish a complete set of courtesy copies to chambers as soon as is practical after a motion has been fully briefed. Courtesy copies shall be marked as such and submitted in accordance with SDNY policies regarding mail deliveries.
Civil cases
Page 2 | Motions & Pleadings
Sealing & Redaction Procedures
Motions for sealed/redacted filings must be filed electronically with specific requirements.
B. Sealing/Redaction Requiring Court Approval. Motions or Letter Motions for approval of sealed or redacted filings in civil and miscellaneous cases and the subject documents, including the proposed sealed document(s), must be filed electronically through the court’s ECF system in conformity with the Court’s standing order, 19-mc-00583, and ECF Rules & Instructions, section 6.
Civil cases
Page 4 | Electronic Filing Under Seal
Sealed documents must be filed under seal and related to the motion; docket text remains public.
The proposed sealed document must be contemporaneously filed under seal in the ECF system and electronically related to the motion. The summary docket text, but not the sealed document, will be open to public inspection and should not include confidential information sought to be filed under seal.
Civil cases
Page 4 | Electronic Filing Under Seal
Motions for sealed filings must be public and explain reasons; supporting papers filed separately.
The motion must be filed in public view, must explain the particular reasons for seeking to file that information under seal and should not include confidential information sought to be filed under seal. Supporting papers must be separately filed electronically and may be filed under seal or redacted only to the extent necessary to safeguard information sought to be filed under seal.
Civil cases
Page 4 | Electronic Filing Under Seal
For redacted public filings, file redacted version publicly and unredacted version under seal.
Where the motion seeks approval to redact information from a document that is to be publicly filed, the filing party shall: (a) publicly file the document with the proposed redactions, and (b) electronically file under seal a copy of the unredacted document with the proposed redactions highlighted. Both documents must be electronically filed through the ECF system and related to the motion.
Civil cases
Page 4 | Electronic Filing Under Seal
Certain sensitive information must be redacted without court approval per FRCP 5.2.
A. Sealing/Redactions Not Requiring Court Approval. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2 describes sensitive information that must be redacted from public court filings without seeking prior permission from the Court.
Civil cases
Page 4 | Electronic Filing Under Seal
Parties unable to file electronically under seal must seek leave to file on paper.
Any party unable to comply with the requirement for electronic filing under seal through the ECF system, or who has reason to believe that a particular document should not be electronically filed, must move for leave of the Court to file in the traditional manner, on paper.
Civil cases
Page 4 | Electronic Filing Under Seal
Pre-Motion Conference Requirements
Pre-motion conferences are not required in civil cases.
Pre-motion conferences are not required.
Civil cases
Page 2 | Motions & Pleadings
Adjournment & Extension Requirements
Adjournment requests for court appearances require 48-hour advance notice unless emergency.
If the request is for an adjournment of a court appearance, absent an emergency it shall be made at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled appearance.
Civil cases
Page 1 | Communications With Chambers
Adjournment/extension requests must be filed as ECF letter motions with specific required elements and proposed revised scheduling order if affecting other dates.
All requests for adjournments or extensions of time must be made in writing and filed on ECF as letter motions. All such letter motions must state: (1) the original date, (2) the number of previous requests for adjournment or extension, (3) whether these previous requests were granted or denied, and (4) whether the adversary consents, and, if not, the reasons given by the adversary for refusing to consent. If the requested adjournment or extension affects any other scheduled dates, a proposed Revised Scheduling Order (reflecting only business days) must be attached.
Civil cases
Page 1 | Communications With Chambers