Proposed changes to M.D. La. local rules

Appellate lawyers sometimes pitch in on complex motions filed in the district court—motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, Daubert motions, etc. If your practice includes this sort of work in the Middle District of Louisiana, then you’ll be interested in the Middle District’s proposed amendments to the local rules, particularly those governing motion practice.

The proposed amendment that caught my eye is one to Local Rule 7, governing the form of motions. Under proposed Rule 7(g), the page limit for memoranda in support of or in opposition to a motion will be reduced from 30 to 20 pages, excluding attachments. The page limit for subsequent memos will be reduced from 20 to 10 pages, excluding attachments. Reply and surreply memos will be subject to a 5-page limit. If you need more pages, you’ll have to file a motion for leave to file a memo exceeding the page limit.

If you want to comment on this amendment or any of the others, you can do so by e-mail to [email protected]. The deadline for comments is March 16, 2015.