Standing Order

What It Is

A standing order is a written set of requirements that a particular judge applies to every case assigned to that judge. Some judges call them “practice standards,” “judge-specific requirements,” or “chambers rules.” They are usually posted on the judge’s page on the district court’s website.

Both the district judge and the magistrate judge assigned to your case may have them. Read both.

What They Commonly Cover

• how to request a conference or hearing
• page limits that are stricter than the local rules
• whether courtesy copies are required
• the format of proposed orders
• how discovery disputes must be raised, sometimes by letter or phone conference before any motion
• exact formatting for summary-judgment briefing and evidence
• how to handle sealed filings and exhibits

How They Relate to Local Rules

The local rules apply to the whole district. A standing order applies to one judge’s cases. Where they conflict, follow the stricter one and, if in doubt, the judge’s order. A judge can also enter case-specific orders, such as a scheduling order, that override both for your case.

What to Do

1. Find out which district judge and which magistrate judge are assigned. Both names appear on the docket.
2. Open each judge’s page on the court website and download every standing order or practice guide.
3. Add their requirements to your local-rules cheat sheet.
4. Check the pages again before each major filing. Judges update these orders.

See Before You File Anything: Local Rules and Your Judge’s Standing Orders.