Gregory Howard Woods III at a glance
- Current role
- Judge
- Jurisdiction
- New York · Federal
- Judicial service
- Active
Gregory Howard Woods III
Judge · U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Service record and verification
Judicial service and assignments
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York · Judge · Active · November 18, 2013–present · Assignment source ↗
Appointment and verification
- Appointment method
- Presidential appointment with Senate confirmation
- Appointing authority
- Barack Obama
- Source authority
- Federal Judicial Center Biographical Directory
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Biography
Professional career
- Judge, District Court, S.D. New York, 2013-present
- American federal judge serving on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York since November 18, 2013
- General counsel, U.S. Department of Energy, 2012-2013
- Deputy general counsel, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2009-2012
- Trial attorney, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 1995-1998
Education
- Yale University — J.D. (1995)
- Williams College — B.A. (1991)
Additional information
- Succeeded Judge Barbara S. Jones, who took senior status in 2012
- Private practice, New York City, 1998-2009
- Date of birth: 1969-01-01
- Birth place: Lewes, DE
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Remote appearances
Courtwide
In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards.
For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location.Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court ↗
Recording and broadcasting
Courtwide
Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception.
Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom.Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited ↗
Published courtroom rules
Judge and named-part rules
Published judge / part rules (60 excerpts)
See document heading and cited passage; do not apply outside the issuing part or proceeding.
Official rules document ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27
Discovery
Unless otherwise ordered, these Individual Practices apply to all civil matters before Judge Woods. In cases designated to be part of one of the Court’s pilot programs or plans (e.g., Local Rule 83.10, or the Initial Discovery Protocols for Employment Cases Alleging Adverse Action), those procedures shall govern to the extent that they are inconsistent with these Individual Practices.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
A. Letters. Except as otherwise provided below, communications with the Court must be by letter. Unless there is a request to file a letter under seal or a letter contains sensitive or confidential information (see Rule 4(A), below), letters must be filed electronically on ECF. Parties should not submit courtesy copies of letters filed on ECF. Copies of correspondence between counsel must not be filed on ECF or otherwise sent to the Court (except as exhibits to an otherwise properly filed document). Absent a request to file a letter under seal, the parties should assume that any substantive letter will be docketed by the Court.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, letters must not exceed 3 pages, excluding any exhibits. In all correspondence involving a request, the requesting party must indicate whether the adversary consents to the request.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
B. Telephone Calls. Parties should avoid calling Chambers unless an urgent matter requires immediate attention. Because of the limitations on ex parte communications with parties, phone calls are often not an efficient way to communicate with Chambers. The Court encourages parties to communicate with the Court by letter.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
However, if an urgent matter requiring immediate attention should arise, counsel may call Chambers directly; in such situations, parties should email the Chambers inbox requesting the Court’s contact information.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
C. Faxes. Faxes to Chambers are not permitted except with prior approval.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
D. Hand Deliveries. Hand-delivered materials should be left with the Court Security Officers at the Worth Street entrance of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States District Courthouse at 500 Pearl Street, New York, NY 10007 and may not be brought directly to Chambers. Hand deliveries are retrieved regularly from the Worth Street entrance by Courthouse mail staff and then forwarded to Chambers. If the hand-delivered materials are urgent and require the Court’s immediate attention, ask the Court Security Officers to notify Chambers that an urgent package has arrived that needs to be retrieved by Chambers staff immediately.
Source page 2Adjournments
E. Requests for Adjournments or Extensions of Time. All requests for adjournments or extensions of time must be made by letter and must state: (1) the original due date; (2) the number of previous requests for adjournment or extension of time; (3) the reason for the current request; (4) whether the adversary consents and, if not, the reason given by the adversary for refusing to consent; and (5) proposed alternative dates. If the requested adjournment or extension affects any other scheduled dates, a proposed Revised Civil Case Management Plan and Scheduling Order must be submitted as an attachment to the request. Absent an emergency, the request must be made at least two business days prior to the original due date.
Source page 2Communications with chambers
F. Proposed Orders and Stipulations. In accordance with Rules 13.18 and 13.19 of the SDNY ECF Rules and Instructions, parties should file substantially all proposed orders and stipulations on ECF. Courtesy copies should not be sent to Chambers.
Source page 2Filing and working copies
Except as otherwise provided below, immediately following the filing of any proposed order or stipulation, parties are directed to submit a joint letter to the Court, stating (1) the reason for the request that the Court enter the proposed order or stipulation; (2) the position of each of the parties with respect to the proposed order or stipulation; (3) the basis for the Court’s legal authority to enter the proposed order or stipulation; and (4) any other information that the parties believe would provide context for the Court’s evaluation of the request. Parties should not expect that the Court will act on a proposed stipulation or order unless it is accompanied by such a letter. The requirement that parties provide such a letter does not apply to stipulations of voluntary dismissal submitted pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(1)(A) that do not include a request that the Court grant other relief or retain jurisdiction over a dismissed action. Any other stipulation of voluntary dismissal, including a stipulation submitted pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(2), must be accompanied by a letter as described above.
Source page 2Communications with chambers
H. Related Cases. After an action has been accepted as related to a prior filing, all future court papers and correspondence must contain the docket number of the new filing as well as the docket number of the case to which it is related.
Source page 2Conferences and appearances
A. Attendance by Principal Trial Counsel. The attorney who will serve as principal trial counsel must appear at all conferences with the Court.
Source page 3Conferences and appearances
B. Appearance Sheets. No later than 2:00 p.m. the day before any scheduled conference with the Court, the parties are directed to jointly email to the Court an appearance sheet, using the template available on the Court’s website. The appearance sheet should not be filed on the docket. The appearance sheet should include the case caption, including the case number, and should list all of the attorneys who are anticipated to participate in the conference. In the event that the parties anticipate that they will use uncommon words, or case names during the conference, they are directed to include that information in the location indicated in the template appearance form.
Source page 3Communications with chambers
C. Telephone Conferences. The Court may designate that a conference will be held telephonically. In some cases, the Court may direct one of the parties to set up a conference line. In all other cases, the parties should call into the Court’s dedicated conference line at (855) 244-8681, and enter Access Code 2318-572-4826, followed by the pound (#) key.
Source page 3Conferences and appearances
ii. To facilitate orderly teleconferences and the creation of an accurate transcript where a teleconference is held on the record, counsel are required to identify themselves every time they speak. Counsel should spell any proper names for the court reporter. Counsel should also take special care not to interrupt or speak over one another.
Source page 3Conferences and appearances
iii. The recording of any court conference is prohibited by law.
Source page 3Conferences and appearances
D. Initial Case Management Conference. The Court will generally schedule a Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16(c) conference within three months of the filing of the complaint or notice of removal. If a conference has not been scheduled within three months of the filing of the complaint or notice of removal, counsel must advise the Court by letter on ECF.
Source page 3Communications with chambers
The Clerk’s Office will email a notification to counsel when notice of the conference is docketed. Plaintiff’s counsel (or, in a matter removed from state court, defense counsel) is responsible for promptly distributing copies of the notice to all parties. The notice will direct the parties, inter alia, to submit via ECF at least one week prior to the conference a joint letter. The notice will also direct the parties to email to WoodsNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov an editable version of their joint proposed Case Management Plan and Scheduling Order, available at https://nysd.uscourts.gov/hon-gregory-h-woods.
Source page 4Motion practice
i. All parties should be prepared to discuss at the initial pretrial conference any pending or anticipated motions as well as the basis for subject matter jurisdiction.
Source page 4Motion practice
E. Pre-Motion Conferences. Pre-motion submissions are required for motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, motions for judgment on the pleadings, motions to compel arbitration, motions to certify collective or class actions, motions for sanctions, motions to amend a complaint or answer, motions concerning discovery, and motions to remand to state court. Pre-motion submissions do not stay any future deadlines, except that a pre-motion submission regarding a pre-answer motion to dismiss will stay that party’s obligation to answer or move against the complaint through the date of the pre-motion conference.
Source page 4Motion practice
i. To request a pre-motion conference, except for motions concerning discovery, counsel for the movant must submit a letter setting forth the grounds for the proposed motion. If the motion is not on consent, any opposing party must submit a letter setting forth its position within five days after the request is received. Letters submitted pursuant to this section must comply with the procedures set forth above in Rule 1(A), except that exhibits to letters are not permitted under this section. The Court will promptly determine whether to hold a pre-motion conference in the matter.
Source page 4Motion practice
ii. To request a pre-motion conference concerning discovery, counsel must submit a single, jointly composed letter describing their discovery dispute(s). Letters submitted pursuant to this section must comply with the procedures set forth above in Rule 1(A), except that letters under this section must be no longer than 5 pages total, excluding exhibits. Strict adherence to Fed. R. Civ. P. 37(a)(1)’s “meet and confer” rule is required, and the letter must describe the efforts taken to resolve the dispute including the counsel involved and the time, place, and duration of the efforts. The
Source page 4Motion practice
A. Memoranda of Law. Unless prior permission has been granted, memoranda of law in support of and in response to a motion must comply with Local Civil Rule 7.1. In addition, memoranda of 10 pages or more must contain a table of contents and a table of authorities.
Source page 5Motion practice
B. Courtesy Copies. At the time the reply is served, the movant must mail or hand-deliver to the Court two courtesy copies of all motion papers, marked as such and which include the automatically-generated ECF header at the top of each page. Courtesy copies should be double-sided, three-hole punched, tabbed, and placed in binders. The spines of the binders should be labeled to include the name of the case, the case number, and the nature of the materials included in the binder. The non-moving party must provide the movant with a set of its motion papers in time for the movant to deliver all motion papers to the Court. Unless doing so would be unduly burdensome, the movant must also submit via CD a copy of electronic, text-searchable copies of any hearing or deposition transcripts, as well as any other item on which the parties rely that cannot be submitted as a single file on ECF (e.g., videos or very long documents).
Source page 5Motion practice
A party submitting media files in connection with a motion must, to the extent possible, provide them in a format capable of being played using commonly available media players, e.g., Windows Media Player. If the media unavoidably requires special viewing software, that software must be provided to the Court in a form that does not require administrative privileges for installation or operation. Any party that submits a video or audio media file to the Court must simultaneously file a transcript of the content of the video or audio file. Because media files cannot currently be uploaded to ECF, a party submitting media files must also file them physically with the Clerk of Court.
Source page 5Motion practice
D. Motions to Dismiss. If a motion to dismiss is filed, the plaintiff has the right to amend its pleading within 21 days pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)(1)(B). On the date on which any amended complaint is filed, the plaintiff must file separately a letter that attaches a legal blackline showing changes between the amended complaint and the prior complaint.
Source page 5Motion practice
If the plaintiff elects not to amend its pleading, the motion will proceed in the normal course, and the plaintiff should not expect that the Court will grant further leave to amend the complaint to address the deficiencies identified in the motion to dismiss
Source page 5Motion practice
If the plaintiff elects to amend its pleading, the moving party must file an answer or a new motion to dismiss within 21 days of such amendment. The Court will dismiss the original motion to dismiss as moot.
Source page 6Motion practice
i. Non-Jury Cases. Absent good cause, the Court generally will not consider summary judgment motions in non-jury cases. A party wishing to move for summary judgment in a non-jury case must submit a pre-motion letter in compliance with Rule 2(C) above and include the grounds asserted for the Court to find good cause.
Source page 6Courtroom conduct and technology
Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, the requirements of Local Civil Rule 56.1(e) apply to all parties, regardless of whether or not all parties in the case are represented by counsel. In all cases, any party moving for summary judgment must provide all other parties with an electronic copy, in a standard word processing format, of the moving party’s Statement of Material Facts. In all cases, the counterstatement required by Local Civil Rule 56.1 must include each entry in the moving party’s statement and set out the opposing party’s response directly beneath it.
Source page 6Courtroom conduct and technology
If additional factual statements are made by the opposing party, it must begin numbering where the moving party left off. The moving party must address the additional statements in its own responsive Statement of Material Facts in compliance with this rule. Where multiple parties are submitting Statements of Material Facts, the parties must coordinate to ensure that no statement numerically overlaps (i.e., each party should not begin its statement at 1).
Source page 6Motion practice
F. Motions to Exclude the Testimony of Experts. Motions to exclude testimony of experts must be made by the deadline for motions for summary judgment and should not be treated as motions in limine.
Source page 6Motion practice
G. Default Judgment. A party seeking a default judgment must proceed by way of an order to show cause pursuant to the procedures set forth in Attachment A to these rules. Those procedures must be followed in addition to the procedures set forth in Local Civil Rule 55.2.
Source page 6Filing and working copies
H. Objections to Rulings by Magistrate Judges. Unless prior permission has been granted, objections to reports and recommendations by, and appeals from orders of, magistrate judges are limited to 25 pages, any opposition is limited to 25 pages, and any reply is limited to 10 pages. Briefs of 10 pages or more must contain a table of contents and a table of authorities. Reply briefs may not be filed without prior leave of Court.
Source page 6Filing and working copies
i. Sealing/Redactions Not Requiring Court Approval. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2 describes sensitive information that must be redacted from public court filings without seeking prior permission from the Court. Such sensitive information includes the following: Social Security numbers; names of minor children; dates of birth; and financial account numbers.
Source page 7Motion practice
Other information that should be treated with caution and may warrant a motion for approval of sealed or redacted filing includes personal identifying numbers (PIN numbers); medical records, treatment and diagnosis; employment history;
Source page 7Motion practice
ii. Sealing/Redaction Requiring Court Approval. Motions or Letter Motions for approval of sealed or redacted filings in civil and miscellaneous cases and the subject documents, including the proposed sealed documents, must be filed electronically through the court’s ECF system in conformity with the court’s standing order, 19- mc-00583, and ECF Rules & Instructions, section 6.
Source page 7Motion practice
The motion must be filed in public view, must explain the particular reasons for seeking to file that information under seal and should not include confidential information sought to be filed under seal. Supporting papers must be separately filed electronically and may be filed under seal or redacted only to the extent necessary to safeguard information sought to be filed under seal.
Source page 7Motion practice
The proposed sealed document must be contemporaneously filed under seal in the ECF system and electronically related to the motion. The summary docket text, but not the sealed document, will be open to public inspection and should not include confidential information sought to be filed under seal.
Source page 7Motion practice
Where the motion seeks approval to redact information from a document that is to be publicly filed, the filing party shall: (a) publicly file the document with the proposed redactions, and (b) electronically file under seal a copy of the unredacted document with the redactions highlighted. Both documents must be electronically filed through the ECF system and related to the motion.
Source page 7Filing and working copies
To be approved, any redaction or sealing of a court filing must be narrowly tailored to serve whatever purpose justifies the redaction or sealing and must be otherwise consistent with the presumption in favor of public access to judicial documents. See, e.g., Lugosch v. Pyramid Co. of Onondaga, 435 F.3d 110, 119-20 (2d Cir. 2006). In general, the parties’ consent or the fact that information is subject to a confidentiality agreement between litigants is not, by itself, a valid basis to overcome the presumption in favor of public access to judicial documents. See, e.g., In re Gen.
Source page 8Communications with chambers
Any party unable to comply with the requirement for electronic filing under seal through the ECF system, or who has reason to believe that a particular document should not be electronically filed, must move for leave of the Court to file in the traditional manner, on paper. In that case, the proposed sealed/redacted document, a copy of the motion and any supporting papers must be contemporaneously submitted to the Court in paper form, by hand delivery or mail. Digital copies of these documents must also be emailed to chambers (outside the ECF system) at WoodsNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov. Any proposed redactions must be highlighted. If the application is granted, the unredacted document must be filed under seal in the traditional manner, on paper, in conformity with the sealed records filing procedures available at https://nysd.uscourts.gov/programs/records/sealed.
Source page 8Communications with chambers
B. Application for Temporary Restraining Order. A party must confer with his or her adversary before making an application for a temporary restraining order, unless the requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(b) are met. As soon as a party decides to seek a temporary restraining order, he or she must call Chambers at (212) 805-0296 and state clearly (1) whether the adversary has been notified and whether the adversary consents to temporary injunctive relief; or (2) that the requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(b) are satisfied and no notice is necessary. If a party’s adversary has been notified but does not consent to temporary injunctive relief, the party seeking a restraining order must bring the application to the Court at a time mutually agreeable to the party and its adversary, so that the Court may have the benefit of advocacy from both sides in deciding whether to grant temporary injunctive relief. If the party requesting relief believes that the requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(b) are met and no notice is necessary, the party must still call Chambers at (212) 805-0296 to schedule a time to bring the application to the Court.
Source page 8Motion practice
C. Orders to Show Cause. Any order to show cause must be presented to the Court in a
Source page 8Motion practice
manner consistent with paragraphs 3 through 8 of Attachment A to these rules. Although the ECF filing system permits the filing of a proposed order to show cause without specific prior notification to the Court, the Court will not act with respect to a proposed order to show cause unless its proponent complies fully with this rule.
Source page 9Filing and working copies
D. Protective Orders. Parties who wish to obtain a protective order must consult the Court’s Model Protective Order, which is available on the Court’s website (https://nysd.uscourts.gov/hon-gregory-h-woods). The proposed protective order should be filed on ECF as an attachment to a cover letter in accordance with Rule 1(A) above, and with Rule 13.18 of the SDNY ECF Rules and Instructions. If the protective order proposed by the parties deviates from the Court’s Model Protective Order, a blackline showing all deviations must be provided as a separate exhibit. If the protective order proposed by the parties does not deviate from the Court’s Model Protective Order (other than changes to the caption and the signature block), the parties should expressly certify that fact in the cover letter accompanying the proposed protective order.
Source page 9Communications with chambers
E. Settlements. The parties should email Chambers at WoodsNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov promptly following an agreement to settle a matter. The parties must thereafter submit any proposed order or stipulation in accordance with Rule 1(F) above. The Court will not retain jurisdiction to enforce confidential settlement agreements. If the parties wish that the Court retain jurisdiction to enforce the agreement, the parties must place the terms of their settlement agreement on the public record. The parties may either provide a copy of the settlement agreement for the Court to endorse or include the terms of their settlement agreement in their stipulation of settlement and dismissal.
Source page 9Motion practice
A. Joint Pretrial Order. Except as provided below, the parties must submit a joint pretrial order to the Court via ECF within 30 days from the completion of discovery. Where a party has submitted a pre-motion letter seeking to move for summary judgment or such a motion is pending, the parties must submit to the Court via ECF a joint pretrial order within 21 days from the Court’s decision on the motion.
Source page 9Trial exhibits and witnesses
vi. A statement as to whether or not all parties have consented to trial by a magistrate judge, without identifying which parties do or do not consent;
Source page 10Filing and working copies
B. Required Pretrial Filings in All Cases. At the time the joint pretrial order is filed,
Source page 10Motion practice
i.Motions inlimine. Any party wishing to file a motion addressing evidentiary issues or other matters which should be resolved in limine must file such a motion via ECF. Opposition papers must be filed within seven days thereafter, and reply papers must be filed within four days of any opposition.
Source page 10Communications with chambers
ii. Documentary Exhibits. Each party must submit to the Court by mail or hand delivery one set of courtesy copies of each documentary exhibit sought to be admitted, pre- marked with exhibit labels that correspond to the exhibit list presented in the joint pretrial order. Each party must also submit to the Court electronic copies of each of the exhibits. The electronic copies may be submitted on a thumb drive or may be downloaded directly to a website maintained by the Court. Information regarding how to download those documents can be obtained from the Courtroom Deputy.
Source page 10Filing and working copies
iii. Pretrial Memorandum of Law. If a party believes that a pretrial memorandum of law would be useful to the Court, it must file the memorandum via ECF. Opposition papers to any legal argument in a pretrial memorandum must be filed within seven days thereafter, and reply papers must be filed within four days of any opposition.
Source page 10Communications with chambers
containing information regarding the deposition designations, their context, any objections, and the grounds for those objections. The spreadsheet must be organized with the following columns in this order: (1) Identity of Party Offering Designation; (2) Name of Deponent; (3) Deposition Designations; (4) Relevant Context (to explain the context of a designation if likely to be unclear to the Court); (5) Objections to Designated Testimony; (6) Court’s View (to be completed by the Court); (7) Counter Designations; (8) Relevant Context (to explain the context of a counter designation if likely to be unclear to the Court); (9) Objections to Counter Designations; (10) Court’s View (to be completed by the Court). The parties must complete each cell except for those designated “Court’s View,” which should be left blank for the Court’s use. Each cell containing a deposition designation or counter designation must include a “comment” that reproduces the excerpted testimony referenced in the designation or counter-designation. Where there are objections to multiple passages within a single block of designated text, the spreadsheet must be formatted so that each passage and corresponding objection is provided on a separate row. That will allow the Court to respond to each objection individually. The parties may request a template Excel spreadsheet that illustrates the information that the parties must provide to the Court for this purpose from the Courtroom Deputy.
Source page 11Communications with chambers
i.Requests to Charge, Proposed Verdict Forms, and Proposed VoirDire Questions. In all jury trials, joint requests to charge, joint proposed verdict forms, and joint proposed voir dire questions must be submitted at the time the proposed joint pretrial order is filed. Proposed requests to charge must include citations to supporting legal authority. For any request to charge or proposed voir dire question on which the parties cannot agree, each party should clearly set forth its proposed charge or question, and briefly state why the Court should use its proposed charge or question, with citations to supporting authority. At the time of filing, parties must also submit copies of these documents to the Court by e-mail (WoodsNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov) as Word documents.
Source page 11Filing and working copies
i.Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law. In non-jury cases, the parties must submit via ECF proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law at the time the proposed joint pretrial order is filed. The proposed findings of fact should be detailed and should include citations to the proffered evidence, as there may be no opportunity for post-trial submissions.
Source page 11Communications with chambers
ii. Direct Testimony by Affidavit. Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, at the time the joint pretrial order is filed, each party in a non-jury trial must submit to the Court by email (WoodsNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov) and serve on opposing counsel, but not file on ECF, the following: Copies of affidavits constituting the direct testimony of each trial witness, except for the direct testimony of an adverse party, a person whose attendance is compelled by 11
Source page 11Filing and working copies
subpoena, or a person for whom the Court has agreed to hear direct testimony live at the trial. The affidavit should be treated as a direct substitute for the witness’s live testimony; that is, counsel should be attentive to the Rules of Evidence (e.g., hearsay and the like) and authenticate any exhibits that will be offered through that witness’s testimony. Three business days after submission of such affidavits, counsel for each party must submit a list of all affiants whom he or she intends to cross-examine at the trial. No later than the earlier of (1) the date that is 14 days after the submission of such affidavits and (2) three business days before trial, the parties must submit to the Court by email and serve on opposing counsel, but not file on ECF, any objections to particular paragraphs of an affidavit. All witnesses need to appear at trial to adopt their affidavit as their direct testimony regardless of whether or not they will be cross-examined. The original signed affidavits should be brought to trial to be marked as exhibits, at which time the Court expects to rule on any pending objections to the affidavits. The Court encourages any party that wishes to present direct testimony through live testimony, rather than by affidavit, to raise their request with the Court; any such request should be made no later than one month prior to the date established for the submission of the joint pretrial order.
Source page 12Communications with chambers
E. Courtesy Copies of Trial Materials. Two courtesy copies of all documents identified in this Section must be mailed or hand-delivered to Chambers at the time they are served or filed. Voluminous material should be organized in tabbed binders and the spines of the binders should be labeled to include the name of the case, the case number, and the nature of the materials included in the binder.
Source page 12Conferences and appearances
9. Prior to the return date, confirm that the Clerk has not noted any deficiencies with respect to the proposed judgment. If any deficiencies have been noted, correct them. The proposed judgment, including all damage and interest calculations, must be approved by the Clerk prior to the conference and then brought to the conference for the judge’s signature.
Source page 14Published judge / part rules (24 excerpts)
See document heading and cited passage; do not apply outside the issuing part or proceeding.
Official rules document ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27
Communications with chambers
1. Initial Pretrial Conference. When a criminal case is assigned to Judge Woods, the Assistant United States Attorney (“AUSA”) should immediately call the Courtroom Deputy to arrange for a prompt conference/arraignment. In the event the Courtroom Deputy is not available, the AUSA should call Chambers. The AUSA should provide via email (WoodsNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov) a courtesy copy of the indictment and the complaint, if one exists, as soon as practicable.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
A. Letters. Except as otherwise provided below, communications with the Court should be by letter, filed electronically on ECF. Parties should not submit courtesy copies of letters filed on ECF. Copies of correspondence between counsel must not be filed on ECF or otherwise sent to the Court (except as exhibits to an otherwise properly filed document). Absent a request to file a letter under seal, the parties should assume that any substantive letter will be docketed by the Court.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
Letters to be filed under seal or containing sensitive or confidential information may be emailed to the Court at WoodsNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov as a .pdf attachment with a copy simultaneously delivered to all counsel. Any such email must state clearly in the subject line: (1) the caption of the case, including the lead party names and docket number, and (2) a brief description of the contents of the letter. Parties must not include substantive communications in the body of the email; any such communications should be included only in the body of the attached letter. Parties must explain the particular reasons for seeking to file that information under seal. When a party seeks approval to redact information from a document that is to be publicly filed, the filing party must publicly file the document with the proposed redactions.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
In all correspondence involving a request, the requesting party must indicate whether the adversary consents to the request. In a written request for bail modification by a defendant, the request should also state whether the Pre-Trial Services Officer consents to the request.
Source page 2Communications with chambers
B. Telephone Calls. Parties should avoid calling Chambers unless an urgent matter requires immediate attention. In such an event, counsel may call Chambers directly; in such situations, parties should email the Chambers inbox requesting the Court’s contact information. For docketing-related issues, please consider calling the ECF help desk at (212) 805-0800.
Source page 2Communications with chambers
C. Faxes. Faxes to Chambers are not permitted except with prior approval.
Source page 2Communications with chambers
D. Hand Deliveries. Hand-delivered materials should be left with the Court Security Officers at the Worth Street entrance of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States District Courthouse at 500 Pearl Street, New York, NY 10007; they may not be brought directly to Chambers. Hand deliveries are retrieved regularly from the Worth Street entrance by Courthouse mail staff and then forwarded to Chambers. If the hand-delivered materials are urgent and require the Court’s immediate attention, ask the Court Security Officers to notify Chambers that an urgent package has arrived that needs to be retrieved by Chambers staff immediately.
Source page 2Adjournments
E. Requests for Adjournments or Extensions of Time. All requests for adjournments or extensions of time must be made by letter and must state: (1) the original due date; (2) the number of previous requests for adjournment or extension of time; (3) the reason for the current request; (4) whether the adversary consents and, if not, the reason given by the adversary for refusing to consent; and (5) proposed alternative dates. If a party seeks an exclusion of time under the Speedy Trial Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3161, the party must (a) state in its letter whether it and each of the other parties consent to the proposed exclusion of time, and (b) submit to the Court via email to WoodsNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov a proposed order (in Microsoft Word format) along with its request for adjournment or extension. A model order excluding time under the Speedy Trial Act is available on the Court’s website.
Source page 2Adjournments
Absent an emergency, any such request must be made at least two business days prior to the original due date, with the exception of a request to adjourn sentencing, which must be made at least three business days prior to the proceeding.
Source page 2Conferences and appearances
A. Benefactor Payments. Whenever defense counsel has received, or is receiving, a benefactor payment that subjects counsel to a conflict of interest, defense counsel must inform the Court in advance of the first conference and request a Curcio hearing.
Source page 2Conferences and appearances
B. Substitution of Counsel. When there is a substitution of defense counsel, counsel of record must write a letter to the Court requesting a conference as soon as possible. At the conference, the Court will address the application by defense counsel to be relieved. The defendant, replacement counsel, and the AUSA must also attend the conference.
Source page 3Motion practice
A. Discovery Motions. In making discovery motions, counsel are expect to comply with Southern District Local Criminal Rule 16.1. Any discovery motion must contain a Rule 16.1 affidavit.
Source page 3Motion practice
B. Courtesy Copies of Motions. At the time the reply is served, the movant must mail or hand-deliver to the Court two courtesy copies of all motion papers, marked as such and which include the automatically-generated ECF header at the top of each page. Courtesy copies should be double-sided, three-hole punched, tabbed, and placed in binders. The non- moving party shall provide the movant with a set of its motion papers in time for the movant to deliver all motion papers to the Court. Unless doing so would be unduly burdensome, the movant should also submit via CD a copy of electronic, text-searchable copies of any hearing or deposition transcripts, as well as any other item on which the parties rely that cannot be submitted as a single file on ECF (e.g., videos or very long documents).
Source page 3Communications with chambers
A. Plea Agreements and PimentelLetters. The Government must provide a courtesy copy of the signed plea agreement, cooperation agreement, or Pimentel letter to the Court. These documents should be e-mailed to Chambers at WoodsNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov as soon as practicable but no later than three business days before the scheduled plea.
Source page 3Communications with chambers
dire questions must be filed via ECF no later than three weeks prior to the trial date. At the time of filing, each party must also email copies of these documents in Microsoft Word format to WoodsNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov. Proposed requests to charge must include citations to supporting legal authority.
Source page 4Trial exhibits and witnesses
i. At the start of trial, the Government must provide the Court with three copies of the witness list and exhibit list and two complete sets of pre-marked documentary exhibits and Section 3500 material assembled sequentially in loose leaf binders.
Source page 4Trial exhibits and witnesses
ii. Sidebars during jury trials are discouraged, and counsel are expected to anticipate any matters that might require argument and to raise those issues with the Court in advance of the time that the jury will be hearing the evidence.
Source page 4Trial exhibits and witnesses
iii. In advance of each trial session, counsel for the party going forward at that session must show opposing counsel the exhibits he or she intends to introduce at the session. The opponent shall indicate those exhibits to which he or she has no objection, and the Court will admit them when offered at the session. Those exhibits to which there is an objection shall be presented to the Court for ruling before the opening of the session.
Source page 4Filing and working copies
A. Deadlines for Filing and Courtesy Copies. The defendant’s submission must be filed via ECF no later than two weeks in advance of the date set for sentencing. The Government’s sentencing submission must be filed via ECF at least one week in advance of the date set for sentencing. The parties must provide the Court with two courtesy copies of each submission at the time of filing.
Source page 4Filing and working copies
B. Letters. The defendant is responsible for filing all letters submitted on behalf of the defendant, including those from friends and relatives. The Government is responsible for filing all letters from victims. A party must group and file the letters together as attachments to a single document marked SENTENCING MEMORANDUM with the caption and docket number clearly indicated.
Source page 4Filing and working copies
D. Public Record. Unless permission to the contrary has been obtained, every document in a sentencing submission, including letters, must be filed in the public record via ECF.
Source page 5Courtroom conduct and technology
i. Redactions Not Requiring Court Approval. Parties are reminded not to include, unless necessary, the five categories of sensitive information listed in Rule 21.3 of the SDNY ECF Rules and Instructions (i.e., social security numbers, names of minors, dates of birth, financial account numbers, and home addresses), and to exercise caution with the six categories of sensitive information listed in Rule 21.4 of the SDNY ECF Rules and Instructions (i.e., personal identifying numbers, medical records, employment history, individual financial information, proprietary or trade secret information, and information regarding an individual’s cooperation with the government). A party may, without the Court’s approval, redact any such sensitive information.
Source page 5Filing and working copies
ii. Redactions Requiring Court Approval. If a party redacts information beyond the eleven categories of information identified in Rule 7(C)(i) above, an application must be served and filed at the time the sentencing submission is served. The party seeking approval to redact information must publicly file the document with the proposed redactions. The application must clearly identify the redaction and explain the reasons for the redaction. The application will be addressed at the sentencing proceeding.
Source page 5Filing and working copies
iii. Sealing. If any material is redacted from a publicly filed document, only those pages containing the redacted material will be filed under seal. Counsel must bring a copy of those pages to the sentencing proceeding, marked to indicate what information has been redacted from the publicly filed materials, to give to the Court for filing under seal.
Source page 5Shared court rules
SDNY and EDNY — Joint Local Civil and Criminal Rules
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Federal district-court proceedings only. Civil and criminal sections have distinct scope and district-specific exceptions. Not Bankruptcy Court rules.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Sources
Identity source checked July 25, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 2, 2026.
Federal Judicial Center biography
Identity source · HTML · Federal Judicial Center Biographical Directory · effective November 18, 2013 · Source checked July 25, 2026
View Federal Judicial Center biography ↗CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · CourtListener / Free Law Project · Source checked August 2, 2026
View CourtListener judicial biographical directory ↗Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court
Courtwide source · HTML · Supreme Court of the United States and Judicial Conference of the United States · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court ↗Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited
Courtwide source · HTML · Supreme Court of the United States and Judicial Conference of the United States · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited ↗