Judge Christopher L. Morgan
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Judges
Morgan, Christopher L.
Federal Judicial Service
Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts.
First appointed to the Court January 27, 2026.
Education
Middlebury College, B.A., 2000
Boston College Law School, J.D., 2006
Courthouse
Springfield Courthouse
United States Courthouse
300 State Street, Suite 120
Springfield, Massachusetts 01105
Courtroom
Hampshire Courtroom
United States Courthouse -
Springfield, MA
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Staff
Standing
Orders
Judicial Forum
Survey
Staff
Chambers Procedures/Standing Orders/Sample Orders
N/A
USDC Judicial Forum Survey
Civil - Case Management
Q1: Do you have any specific
scheduling order or any particular topics
that
counsel must address in the joint statement in addition
to/or in lieu of the topics required to be
addressed
under Local Rule 16.1(D) for the initial scheduling
conference?
A1: No.
Q2: If you have a specific
scheduling order, please attach your order.
A2:
Respondent skipped this question
Q3: Do you have any additional
requirement(s) as to the attorneys'
obligation
that they confer with their client(s) about case budget and
ADR pursuant to Local Rule 16.1(D)(3)?
A3: No.
Q4: What, if any, inquiries do
you make about settlement prospects
and/or
interest in mediation at the initial scheduling conference?
A4: At the initial scheduling conference, I will inquire whether the parties have discussed settlement and encourage the parties to pursue early mediation.
Q5: What, if any inquiries do
you make about the liklihood of trial at
the
initial scheduling conference?
A5: None.
Q6: What schedule do you set at
the initial scheduling conference?
A6: Typically, at the initial scheduling conference, I will set a schedule that extends through discovery to the filing of dispositive motions.
Q7: After the initial
scheduling conference, do you hold status
conferences?
A7: Typically, I will set a mid-discovery status conference to ensure that discovery is on track.
Q8: If so, when do you hold
status conferences?
A8: Typically, midway through discovery.
Q9: If so, what issues do you
address at status conferences?
A9: I typically address the state of discovery and whether there are any emerging disputes or concerns with completing discovery by the current deadline.
Civil - Discovery
Q10: Other than the
requirements under Local Rule 16.1(D) for
addressing
certain discovery topics in the parties' joint statement,
what, if any, discovery issues do you like
counsel
to be prepared to address at the initial scheduling
conference?
A10: None.
Q11: What, if any, issues
related to electronically stored information
should counsel be prepared to address at the initial
scheduling conference?
A11: If the case is one with large scale electronic discovery, I expect the parties to have discussed and developed a plan for handling the discovery, including agreements on production formats, timelines, and, if applicable, search terms.
Q12: If the parties intend to
file a proposed protective order, do you
require any particular format and/or a specific time for
doing so?
A12: I do not have a deadline for the filing of a protective order. My preference, however, is that the parties should attempt to negotiate and enter into a confidentiality agreement before seeking a protective order.
Q13: Under what circumstances
would you consider a bifurcation of
discovery
?
A13: At this time, I am still considering whether there are particular circumstances where I would consider bifurcation of discovery.
Q14: Given the new requirement
under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(1) regarding
the
proportionality of the scope of discovery, what, if any
inquiry do you make about this issue at the
initial
scheduling conference?
A14: I do not make a particular inquiry at the initial scheduling conference, but expect the parties are considering and discussing proportionality in advance of the conference.
Q15: Other than the requirement
that the parties confer in good faith
to
narrow the issues before filing any discovery motion under
Local Rule 37.1(A), what, if any,
additional
requirements do you make of counsel before considering
discovery motions?
A15: I do not have any particular requirements at this time.
Q16: Do you typically hold
hearing on discovery?
A16: Yes.
Q17: Please describe your
general practice regarding the resolution of
disovery motions.
A17: I do not have a specific practice regarding the resolution of discovery motions. If the circumstances warrant, I may use a hearing on a discovery motion as an informal discussion to try to work through and find a resolution without a formal order. But even under such circumstances it is expected that the parties have already worked to resolve the issue independently in advance of the hearing.
Q18: Under what circumstances
will you consider emergency motions
regarding
discovery matters?
A18: I am most likely to consider an emergency motion where the dispute concerns an event that is scheduled to occur imminently and where the parties could not have foreseen the dispute.
Q19: Do you have any particular
practices or requirements about expert
disclosures?
A19: No.
Q20: What, if any, expert
discovery deadlines do you set at the initial
scheduling conference? When do you typically set a schedule
for the filing of Daubert motions?
A20: At the initial scheduling conference, I will typically set a deadline for the plaintiff and defendant's expert disclosures. A schedule for Daubert motions would be set at the request of the parties.
Q21: If the case involves a pro
se litigant, do you typically have any
different practices in regard to scheduling conferences,
status conferences or discovery matters?
A21: No.
Civil - Dispositive Motions
Q22: Other than the presumptive
pages limits for memoranda under Rule
7.1(b), do you have any other
requirements or preferences about the filing of dispositive
motions?
A22: No.
Q23: In connection with
dispositive motions, do you require the filing
of
any courtesy copies of exhibits, depositions and/or other
materials in addition to the electronic
versions
that are filed on ECF?
A23: In cases where the submissions are particularly voluminous, I may request paper copies, but they are not required as a matter of course.
Q24: Do you typically allow
reply briefs and/or surreply
briefs?
A24: Yes, as long as there is some reasons to believe a reply or surreply will aid the court, I will typically grant leave to file. But replies and surreplies should not simply restate the arguments from prior briefing.
Q25: If you allow reply and/or
surreply briefs, do you impose a page
limit?
A25: At this time, I do not have a set limit. A party seeking leave to file a reply or surreply should specifcially state, however, how many pages it is seeking for a reply or surreply.
Q26: Do you typically hold a
hearing on motions to dismiss?
A26: Yes, although if a legal issue presented in the briefs is relatively straightforward, I may decide it based on the papers.
Q27: Do you typically hold a
hearing on summary judgment motions?
A27: Yes.
Q28: If you typically hold
hearings on dispositive motions, what, if
any,
time limits do you impose on counsel for their arguments?
A28: I do not typically impose time limits for hearings on dispositive motions.
Q29: Under what, if any,
circumstances, would you allow the filing of
post-argument briefs?
A29: If the court has further questions on a particular issue, or oral argument raises an unanticipated issue, I may request additional briefing, although it is not the norm.
Civil - Patent Cases
Q30: Do you have any standing
order and/or any particular practice
regarding
the management of patent cases? If so, please describe them.
A30: No.
Q31: If applicable, please
upload your standing order regarding the
management of patent cases.
A31:
Respondent skipped this question
Q32: Do you have particular
practice about Markman hearings? If so,
please
describe them including but not limited to whether you allow
tutorial(s).
A32: I do not have a particular practice as of yet.
Civil Mediation
Q33: If you have any particular
practices or preferences in regard to
submissions before a mediation, please describe them.
A33: Each party is required to submit a confidential memorandum of up to five pages addressing the expected issues at mediation.
Q34: Do you have a standard
pre-mediation order for the parties? If so,
please attach it here.
A34: Not at this time.
Q35: If you have any particular
practices or preferences in regard to
conducting a mediation, please describe them here.
A35: Typically, after introductions, the parties will move to individual sessions. If the parties wish to make opening statements in advance of the parties separating for individual statements, they should note that request in their memorandum and briefly explain why they believe opening statements would be beneficial.
Q36: Do you require the
party/parties to be present or available during
a
mediation?
A36: I prefer that a party with decision making authority be present at the mediation, although I recognize that there may be instances in which this not possible and will allow participation by phone depending on the circumstances.
Criminal Matters
Q37: Other than the
requirements under Local Rule 116.5, what, if any,
practices do you have in regard to status conferences in
criminal cases?
A37: None.
Q38: Typically, at what point,
will you refer a criminal case back to
the
district judge?
A38: I typically refer the case back to the district judge when discovery is complete.
Q39: Do you have any particular
practices as to scheduling in criminal
cases? If so, please describe them.
A39: No.
General Trial Practice - Pretrial Matters
Q40: Do you require the filing
of a trial brief?
A40: Yes.
Q41: If you do not require the
filing of a trial brief, under what
circumstances do you think it would be helpful to the Court?
A41:
Respondent skipped this question
Q42: Do you typically hold an
initial pretrial conference in civil
cases?
A42: Yes. At the conference, counsel should be prepared to discuss anticipated legal and evidentiary issues, stipulations, number of witnesses, estimated length of trial.
Q43: When do you set a deadline
for the filing of proposed voir dire,
proposed jury instructions and/or special verdict form,
witness and exhibits lists, motions in
limine?
Typically, how far in advance of trial are these deadlines?
A43: Counsel typically will be directed to submit those materials before the final pretrial conference.
Q44: Do you require that
proposed voir dire, verdict forms and/or jury
instructions be filed in any particular form (i.e., courtesy
electronic copy to your deputy clerk in
Word or
WordPerfect format, etc.)? Describe your practice.
A44: I am currently considering this question and will note in the pretrial procedural order if documents are to be filed in a particular form.
Q45: Do you set a page limit
for motions in limine? If so, what is it?
A45: Not currently.
Q46: Do you typically hear
motions in limine at the final pretrial
conference?
A46: Yes.
Q47: Do you typically resolve
motions in limine at the final pretrial
conference?
A47: Yes.
Q48: Do you typically hear
and/or resolve Daubert motions at the final
pretrial conference?
A48: Yes.
Q49: Do you require the parties
to provide a courtesy copy of trial
exhibits
to the Court before trial?
A49: Yes.
Q50: If courtesy copies of
trial exhibits are required, when do you
require
them?
A50: If there are pretrial disputes regarding exhibits, I would usually request courtesy copies prior to the final pretrial conference. Otherwise, I would expect courtesy copies at the outset of trial.
Q51: If courtesy copies of
trial exhibits are required, what particular
form
is required?
A51: It will depend on the nature of the particular case.
Q52: Do you require trial
exhibits to be pre-marked? If so, please
describe
your practice?
A52: I do require that trial exhibits be pre-marked but I currently have no rule on how they should be marked. The parties should discuss their proposed method of marking the exhibits with my courtroom deputy in advance of trial.
General Trial Practice - Scheduling Trials
Q53: Typically, when do you set
a trial date in civil cases?
A53: At the status conference following the close of discovery.
Q54: What is your typical trial
schedule?
A54: Typically, the parties should expect trial to go for the full day from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with a morning break of 15-30 minutes, an hour-long lunch break, and a 15-30 minute afternoon break. To the extent the parties request a different schedule, they should note their request in their joint pretrial memorandum.
Q55: In civil cases, do you set
time limits for counsel for opening
statements, the presentation of evidence and/or closing
arguments? If so, please describe your
practice?
A55: Yes, the parties shall expect that there will be time limits for opening statements and closing arguments, which will vary depending on the nature of the case. The parties should notify the court how long they believe they need for opening statements and closing arguments in their joint pretrial memorandum. I do not currently impose time limits on the presentation of evidence.
General Trial Practice - Jury Selection
Q56: Please describe your jury
selection process.
A56:
Respondent skipped this question
Q57: Under what circumstances,
if any, have you or would you consider
using
a juror questionnaire?
A57:
Respondent skipped this question
Q58: If you would consider the
use of a jury questionnaire, when and in
what
form should it be proposed?
A58:
Respondent skipped this question
Q59: Have you or would you
consider allowing attorney voir dire?
A59:
Respondent skipped this question
Q60: In civil trials, typically
what number of jurors do you seat?
A60:
Respondent skipped this question
General Trial Practice - Trial Practices
Q61: Do you require counsel to
use the podium during openings,
examination
of witnesses and/or closings?
A61: No.
Q62: How many rounds of
examination do you typically allow?
A62: Four -- direct, cross, redirect and recross.
Q63: Under what, if any,
circumstances, will you allow a rebuttal case?
A63: I would allow a rebuttal case provided that the party can show why it would be appropriate.
Q64: Do you have any
preferences about the use of chalks during
openings and
closings?
A64: Parties may use chalks, although I expect that any chalks used during the opening would be shown to opposing counsel before it is used in court.
Q65: Do you have any particular
practice in regard to jury charge
conferences? If so, please describe it.
A65: Not at this time.
Q66: Do you provide a written
copy of your jury charge to the jury?
A66: Yes.
Q67: Will you consider
counsel's proposals of a special verdict form?
If so,
should it be in any particular format?
A67: I would consider but do not currently have a preference as to a particular format.
Q68: If you have any
preferences or practices about pretrial or trial
matters that has not been solicited by the prior questions,
please describe them here.
A68:
Respondent skipped this question
Q69: If you have any particular
practices as to bench trials, please
describe them.
A69:
Respondent skipped this question
Standing Orders & Miscellaneous Matters
Q70: Please upload any Standing Orders that do not already appear on your website below:
A70:
Respondent skipped this question
Q71: Additional order: (if needed)
A71:
Respondent skipped this question
Q72: Additional order: (if needed)
A72:
Respondent skipped this question
Q73: If there is any other
guidance about your court practices and
preferences that you would like to share with counsel that
has not been solicited by any of the
prior
questions, please provide it here.
A73:
Respondent skipped this question
Post-Pandemic Practices
Q74: As of Fall 2022, are
there
any case events that you routinely conduct via Zoom in
civil
cases? If so, what are they?
A74:
Respondent skipped this question
Q75: As of Fall 2022, are
there
any case events that you routinely conduct via Zoom in
criminal cases? If so, what are they?
A75:
Respondent skipped this question
Q76: As of Fall 2022, if
there
are case events that you routinely conduct in person
that
you would consider conducting via
Zoom, what are those case events and under what
circumstances would you consider conducting them via
Zoom?
A76:
Respondent skipped this question
