UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS
GENERAL ORDER 25-1
February 11, 2025
GENERAL ORDER RE: RANDOM ASSIGNMENT OF CERTAIN CIVIL CASES
FILED IN CENTRAL OR WESTERN DIVISIONS
Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 137 and Local Rule 40.1, it is hereby ordered as follows:
1. This order provides for the district-wide random assignment of certain cases filed
in the Central and Western Divisions of the District Court, which are single-seat district judge
divisions. It is adopted pursuant to the 2024 policy of the Judicial Conference of the United
States, and has been issued following a vote of the full court.
2. This order applies to any civil action seeking to bar or mandate nationwide
enforcement of a federal law, including a rule, regulation, policy, or order of the executive branch
or a federal agency, whether by declaratory judgment and/or any form of injunctive relief (a
“Subject Civil Action”).
3. Any Subject Civil Action that is filed in the Central or Western Divisions of the
District Court shall be assigned to a randomly assigned judge, without regard to court division,
as provided in this order.
4. When opening a Subject Civil Action, the filer shall state on the Civil Cover Sheet
(Form JS 44) in Section VI (Cause of Action) as follows: “This case seeks to bar or mandate
federal governmental policies or actions of nationwide impact, by declaratory judgment and/or
any form of injunctive relief.” The inclusion of such notation has no effect on the assignment of
a case unless it would be otherwise assigned to the Central or Western Division.
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5. Where such notation is made on the Civil Cover Sheet in a case that would
otherwise be assigned to the Central or Western Division, the Clerk’s office shall assign the case
to a randomly assigned judge without regard to court division. Judges in the Central and Western
Divisions will be included in the random assignment.
6. If, upon initial review of an assigned case that seeks injunctive or declaratory
relief, a judge in the Central or Western Division determines that the case qualifies as a Subject
Civil Action, regardless of whether it is so designated on the Civil Cover Sheet, then the judge
shall enter such a finding on the record and direct the Clerk to reassign the case pursuant to the
random district-wide assignment process without regard to court division.
7. This order does not apply to pro se cases.
8. This order is in effect until further order of the Court.
Dated: February 11, 2025 /s/ F. Dennis Saylor IV _
F. Dennis Saylor IV
Chief Judge, United States District Court
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