UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY
CHAMBERS OF FRANK R. LAUTENBERG U.S. POST
JOSÉ R. ALMONTE OFFICE & COURTHOUSE BUILDING
2 FEDERAL SQUARE
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
NEWARK, NJ 07102
973-645-3110
CASE MANAGEMENT ORDER
Unless otherwise ordered, the following shall apply to matters before the Honorable José
R. Almonte, U.S.M.J. Failure to comply with the terms of this Order may result in
sanctions.
1. Attending Conferences and Hearings. Parties are expected to appear on time
for conferences and hearings. Please call Chambers immediately if you need to
reschedule a conference or a hearing, or if you expect to be late.
2. Junior Attorneys. The Court encourages junior attorneys to take an active role
at hearings so that they may hone their legal skills, particularly where the junior
attorney played a substantial role in drafting the underlying filing. However, to
ensure speedy resolution of disputes, a senior attorney must ensure that the
junior attorney is adequately prepared.
3. Communications with Chambers
a. Filings and Written Communications. All pleadings and
correspondence with the Court shall be electronically filed via CM/ECF,
unless otherwise ordered by the Court. If you have a request that requires
attention within 48 hours, please call Chambers. In civil cases, confidential
information shall be sent via email to Chambers
(
[email protected]). In criminal cases, confidential information
shall be sent directly to Courtroom Deputy Alexus Wheeler
(
[email protected]).
b. Fax. Faxes to Chambers are not permitted.
c. Courtesy Copies. Physical courtesy copies need not be sent to Chambers,
unless otherwise ordered by the Court.
4. Settlement Conferences. Clients with full settlement authority are required to
attend scheduled settlement conferences. Each party must email a confidential
letter summarizing the factual background of the case, the main issue(s) in
dispute, the status of the case, and the parties’ settlement position. The parties
shall submit the letters at least 7 calendar days before the scheduled settlement
conference to
[email protected]. Each letter should not exceed 5 pages
in length, exclusive of exhibits.
5. Motions and Other Requests
a. Discovery Disputes. No discovery motion shall be filed without leave of
the Court. Consistent with their obligation under Local Civil Rules 16.1(f)
and 37.1(a), the parties shall meet and confer in good faith to resolve any
discovery disputes prior to raising those disputes with the Court.
Importantly, email exchanges are not sufficient to satisfy this requirement.
The Court requires the parties to meet in person, via video conferencing, or
by telephone. If the parties are unable to reach a resolution after meeting
and conferring, they may file one joint letter not to exceed 10 pages,
exclusive of exhibits. The parties shall explain the efforts made to resolve
the issue(s). For each issue or group of issues in dispute, the parties shall
summarize the specific issue(s) and the parties’ respective positions
supported by relevant facts and legal authority. Each issue must be
separated into its own section. Please refer to the example below.
For example:
Dispute No. 1: Plaintiff refuses to respond to Interrogatory No. 15,
which asks [insert language of the interrogatory].
Defendant’s Position
Plaintiff’s Position
Dispute No. 2: Defendant has not responded to Request for
Production No. 8, which asks [insert the language of the Request for
Production].
Plaintiff’s Position:
Defendant’s Position:
b. Pro Hac Vice Admission. Requests for admission pro hac vice should be
filed as motions and should indicate whether all parties consent to the
admission. Requests also should comply with the other requirements set
forth in Local Civil Rule 101.1(c).
c. Motions to Seal. Along with the motion to seal, the moving party shall
submit a form of order containing proposed findings of fact and conclusions
of law concerning the factors set forth in Local Civil Rule 5.3(c). The moving
party also shall indicate whether all other parties consent to the sealing of
2
material.
d. Discovery Confidentiality Orders. The parties are encouraged to use
the form discovery confidentiality order found in Appendix S of the Local
Civil Rules. If the parties submit a confidentiality order that differs from
Appendix S, they must submit: (1) a clean version of the proposed order
that is ready for signature; and (2) a redline version that indicates the
differences between the proposed order and the Appendix S order.
6. Pro se Parties. In cases involving pro se parties who have not consented to email
service, represented parties must mail copies of all their electronic filings to the
pro se litigant(s).
7. Joint Discovery Plans. The Court’s form Joint Discovery Plan may be found at
https://www.njd.uscourts.gov/sites/njd/files/forms/R16DiscoveryPlan_1.pdf. The
parties shall file their completed Joint Discovery Plan on CM/ECF no later than
five (5) business days before the scheduled Rule 16 conference. The parties need
not disclose any information concerning settlement discussions. But the parties
should be prepared to address that topic during the conference.
Special Note for Criminal Matters:
1. Requests for Bail. The Court will not consider a request for bail or bail
modification until after defense counsel has consulted with the U.S. Attorney’s
Office and until the U.S. Pretrial Services Officer or the U.S. Probation Officer
has assessed the proposed bail package. In all email communications with the
Court regarding bail, defense counsel shall copy the Assistant U.S. Attorney and
the U.S. Pretrial Services Officer or U.S. Probation Officer assigned to the case.
2. Continuance Orders. Unopposed continuance orders must be emailed Directly
to Courtroom Deputy Alexus Wheeler (
[email protected]). The
Order will be effective as of the date that the Court receives it. If one party opposes
the entry of a continuance order, the moving party must file a motion on CM/ECF.
JOSÉ R. ALMONTE
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDG
3
