(a) Where the parties consent, each Magistrate Judge is authorized to conduct a jury or nonjury trial
in any civil action and order the entry of final judgment in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 636(c) and Fed. R. Civ.
P. 73-76. In the course of conducting proceedings in any civil action upon the consent of the parties, a
Magistrate Judge may hear and determine any and all pretrial and post-trial motions including case-dispositive
motions.
(b) The Clerk shall notify the parties in all civil cases that they may consent to have a Magistrate
Judge conduct any or all proceedings in the case and order the entry of a final judgment. Such notice shall be
mailed to the parties with the notice of the first pretrial conference.
(c) The Clerk shall not accept a consent form for filing unless it has been signed by all the parties in
a case. Plaintiff shall be responsible for securing the execution and filing of such a consent form. No consent
form will be made available, nor will its contents be made known to any Judge, unless all stated parties have
consented to the reference to a Magistrate Judge. No Judge or other Court official may attempt to persuade or
induce any party to consent to the reference of any matter to a Magistrate Judge. This Rule, however, shall not
preclude a Judge from informing the parties that they may have that option.
(d) The consent form shall be filed with the Clerk not later than 21 days after the date of the final
pretrial conference.
(e) After the consent form has been executed and filed, the Clerk shall so advise the District Judge
to whom the case has been assigned. At the direction of the District Judge, the Clerk shall prepare for the
District
Judge's signature an order referring the case to a Magistrate Judge. Once the case has been referred, the
Magistrate Judge shall have the authority to conduct any and all proceedings to which the parties have
consented and to direct the Clerk to enter a final judgment in the same manner as if a District Judge had
presided.
(f) Upon the entry of judgment in a civil case disposed of by a Magistrate Judge on consent of the
parties under authority of 28 U.S.C. § 636(c) and L.Civ.R. 73.1, an aggrieved party shall appeal directly to the
Court of Appeals in the same manner as an appeal from any other judgment of this Court.
Amended: March 1, 2010.
