The Volokh Conspiracy

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From Judge Ana Reyes' (D.D.C.) Standing Order, a Helpful Guide to the Judge's Allusions

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A judge's standing orders generally include various instructions to lawyers about procedural matters; here's an item from p. 4 of the 10-page standing orders from Judge Ana Reyes, newly appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; I include some of the preceding material for context:

f. Pre-Motion Conference. If a party wishes to file a dispositive motion, it must request that the Court schedule a pre-motion conference. To so request, the moving party shall submit a short notice via ECF, not to exceed six double-spaced pages in length, setting forth the basis for the anticipated motion, including the legal standards and the claims at issue. Other parties shall respond by filing, within one week, a document of similar length setting forth their anticipated responses to the proposed motion. The Court will review and discuss with counsel any anticipated summary judgment motions at the premotion conference. This requirement shall not apply to incarcerated pro se litigants.

g. Oral Argument.

i. A party may include a request for oral argument in its motion, opposition, or reply papers and, if this request is granted, counsel will be advised of the argument date. See LCvR 7(f). See supra ⁋ 6(d) for further information concerning oral argument.

ii. The Court understands that, for reasons passing understanding, not all counsel are fans of the Boston Red Sox. Counsel should be aware, however, that the Court may reference key moments in Red Sox history during oral argument. References may include: (a) Dave Roberts's steal; (b) Carlton Fisk's walk-off homerun; (c) Ted Williams's final at-bat; and, inter alia, (d) David Ortiz's "this is our [bleep] city" speech. Any reference to Game 6 of the 1986 World Series is strictly prohibited….

Thanks to Arthur Spitzer for the pointer.