(a) Consent. In accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 636(c) and Fed. R. Civ. P. 73, a Magistrate
Judge may conduct any or all proceedings in a civil action, including a jury or non-jury
trial, upon the consent of all parties. Consent is voluntary, and the parties are free to
withhold consent without adverse substantive consequences.
(b) Notice, Execution, and Approval. The Clerk of Court shall provide the parties written
notice of the right to consent and the appropriate consent form(s). The completed form(s)
shall be submitted to the Clerk of Court, who, upon confirming that all parties have
consented, will transmit the form(s) to the assigned District Judge for approval.
(1) For cases in which the parties are represented by counsel, plaintiff’s counsel is
responsible for submitting to the Clerk of Court a single consent form, executed by
all parties or their attorneys. The Clerk of Court will reject and return a consent
form that is not signed by all of the parties or their respective counsel.
(2) For cases in which one or more of the parties is proceeding pro se, the Clerk of
Court shall provide a separate consent form to each party. Each party is required
to complete and return the form pursuant to the instructions provided.
(c) Additional Parties. Any party added to an action after the original parties’ consent is
approved by the assigned District Judge, shall be notified by the Clerk of Court of the right
to consent to proceed before the Magistrate Judge. If the new party does not consent to
the Magistrate Judge’s jurisdiction, the action shall be returned to the District Judge for
further proceedings.
