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S.D.N.Y. · Judge Oetken · Practice Guide

Hon. J. Paul Oetken

Verified 2026-06-25verify at the court's site ↗

All local rules for S.D.N.Y., integrated with this judge's published requirements.

Before You File
Ex parte applications
🏛 S.D.N.Y. local rule

Affidavit with good and specific reasons required; state if prior application made. Local Civil Rule 6.1(d) ↗

Contacting chambers
👤 Judge Oetken — standing order

B. Amended or Corrected Filings. Any amended or corrected filing shall be filed with a redline showing all differences between the original and revised filing. C. No Courtesy Copies. Unless the Court orders otherwise, or as provided otherwise in these Rules (see, e.g., paragraph 6(C)(iv) regarding sealed cases), parties should not submit courtesy copies of any submissions.

Drafting the Motion
Length limits — motion, opposition, reply
🏛 S.D.N.Y. local rule
Motion

Memoranda of law in support of or in opposition to a motion limited to 25 pages; reply memoranda limited to 10 pages S.D.N.Y. L.R. 7.1(b) ↗

Opposition

8,750 words maximum for opposition brief. Local Civil Rule 7.1(c) ↗

Reply

3,500 words maximum for reply brief. Local Civil Rule 7.1(c) ↗

Filing & Scheduling
Briefing schedule & hearing date
🏛 S.D.N.Y. local rule
Notice period

Opposition due 14 days after service; reply due 7 days after opposition. Local Civil Rule 6.1(b) ↗

Hearing days

Silent on fixed motion hearing days. The joint local rules establish no motion-day calendar. LCR 7.1 governs motion practice (content, formatting, and briefing deadlines) but sets no court hearing dates; any hearing is scheduled at each judge's discretion per their individual practices. Local Civil Rule 7.1 ↗

Proposed orders
🏛 S.D.N.Y. local rule

Proposed orders, judgments, and decrees must be presented as directed by the ECF rules published on the website of each respective court. Local Civil Rule 77.1 ↗

Filing under seal
👤 Judge Oetken — standing order

F. Filings in Opposition. Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, any party may file the following documents within one week after the filing of the pretrial order, but in no event less than three days before the scheduled trial date: i. opposition to any motion in limine; and ii. opposition to any legal argument in a pretrial memorandum.

The Hearing
Oral argument
🏛 S.D.N.Y. local rule

Motions are decided on submission unless the court schedules oral argument; contact chambers to request oral argument S.D.N.Y. L.R. 7.1(b) ↗

Discovery
Discovery referral procedure
🏛 S.D.N.Y. local rule

Must first request informal conference by letter before filing discovery motion. Local Civil Rule 37.2 ↗

Discovery dispute procedure
👤 Judge Oetken — standing order

C. Attendance by Principal Trial Counsel. Absent leave of the Court, the attorney who will serve as principal trial counsel must appear at all conferences with the Court. Any attorney appearing before the Court must enter a notice of appearance on ECF.

Know Before You Go
👤 Judge Oetken — deviations that burn people
  • All letters, including letters regarding discovery disputes, are capped at 4 pages — shorter than most SDNY judges' 5-page limit. Exceeding 4 pages is non-compliant.
  • Courtesy copies are explicitly prohibited (§ 1(C)). Do not file them.
  • Before requesting an adjournment or extension, parties MUST first seek consent from the opposing party. The rules state parties 'are strongly encouraged to consent to reasonable requests' — failing to seek consent before filing the letter-motion is non-compliant.
  • Adjournment requests must include both the original deadline AND the proposed new deadline. Missing the proposed new deadline is a common omission.
  • Urgent communications: Call Chambers at (212) 805-0266 only for matters requiring attention in less than one business day. Court staff will not answer substantive questions or interpret procedural rules on ex parte calls.
  • Oral argument is generally disfavored. Requesting it because oral argument is 'always good' is unlikely to succeed. The best argument for getting oral argument is that a junior attorney will be arguing.
content assembled from published local rules & standing orders · click any section in the rail for the full treatment