Coleman v. Metro-North Commuter Railroad

Nature of the Order

This is a notice of reassignment and case-management order. The opinion does not address the merits of Windsor Coleman’s claims against Metro-North Commuter Railroad.

Reassignment and Conference Date

The case was reassigned to Judge Jessica G. L. Clarke. Unless the court later orders otherwise, all prior orders, dates, and deadlines remain in effect, including the order identified as ECF No. 18. The court rescheduled the post-discovery conference from August 23, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. to August 22, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. The conference was to be held before Judge Clarke by Microsoft Teams.

Joint Status Letter

The parties were ordered to file a joint status letter on the electronic docket no later than one week before the conference. The letter could not exceed five pages, apart from any appendix needed for lengthy information about organizational citizenship. It had to include:

- Counsel’s names and current contact information; - A brief description of the case, defenses, and important legal and factual issues; - The basis for federal jurisdiction and venue, including required citizenship information for entities in diversity cases; - All existing deadlines and cutoff dates; - Previously scheduled conferences that had not occurred and the issues to be discussed; - Outstanding motions and the relief they seek; - Pending appeals; - Discovery completed and discovery still needed for meaningful settlement discussions; - The status of prior settlement discussions without exact offers or demands; - Whether the parties had considered settlement conferences, the District’s Mediation Program, or a private mediator; - An estimate of trial length; and - Other information that could help move the case toward settlement or trial.

If the case had already been settled or otherwise terminated, counsel did not have to file the letter or appear, provided proof of termination was filed on the docket before the deadline.

Extensions and Postponements

Requests to extend a deadline or postpone a conference had to be made by a letter-motion filed electronically at least 48 hours before the deadline or conference. The request had to identify the original and requested new dates, prior requests, the reason for the request, the opposing party’s position, and any next scheduled court appearance. Unless the parties were notified that a conference had been postponed, it would take place as scheduled.

Disposition and Classification

Judge Clarke ordered the reassignment-related procedures and rescheduled the conference. The order did not grant or deny a merits motion, dismiss any claim, or decide the parties’ underlying dispute. It is classified as a procedural order.