John Leonard Sinatra Jr. at a glance
- Current role
- Judge
- Jurisdiction
- New York · Federal
- Judicial service
- Active
John Leonard Sinatra Jr.
Judge · U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
Service record and verification
Judicial service and assignments
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York · Judge · Active · December 5, 2019–present · Assignment source ↗
Appointment and verification
- Appointment method
- Presidential appointment with Senate confirmation
- Appointing authority
- Donald J. Trump
- Source authority
- Federal Judicial Center Biographical Directory
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Biography
Professional career
- Judge, District Court, W.D. New York, 2019-present
- American federal judge serving on the United States District Court for the Western District of New York since December 5, 2019
- Senior counsel, U.S. Department of Commerce, 2007-2008
- Law clerk, New York Court of Appeals, 1996-1998
- Western District of New York — Judge John L. Sinatra Jr (Court)
Education
- J.D. — State University of New York at Buffalo Law School — 1996
- B.A. — State University of New York at Buffalo — 1993
Additional information
- Private practice, Buffalo, New York, 2008-2019
- Private practice, Cleveland, Ohio, 1998-2007
- JD — Buffalo State SUNY — 1996
- magna cum laude — Buffalo State SUNY — 1993
- His Federalist Society membership began in 1993
- Date of birth: 1972-01-01
- Sinatra’s career spans high-level legal work in government and private practice, including roles in federal commerce law and corporate litigation.
- Birth place: Buffalo, NY
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 (9 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
Bonnie [Please do not email chambers’ correspondence or filings to the court reporter. Contact chambers by telephone for guidance on emailing the Court.] Judge Tabs Motions
Source page web_or_saved_captureMotion practice
Unless the Court previously set one, notices of motion should not contain return dates. The Court will set a briefing schedule for all responses and replies. The Court will schedule oral argument if necessary. The Court encourages parties represented by counsel to include tables of contents and authorities with all memoranda of law. Citations to legal authority should appear in the text of the memoranda of law, not in footnotes.
Source page web_or_saved_captureAdjournments
Each party represented by counsel shall provide one courtesy copy of substantive motion papers to chambers upon filing. Parties need not provide courtesy copies of motions to extend time or to adjourn. The Court prefers that courtesy copies include the headers generated upon filing with CM/ECF. If copies are voluminous, the Court asks that copies be three-hole punched, tabbed, and placed in three-ring binders.
Source page web_or_saved_captureAdjournments
A schedule may be modified only for good cause and with the Court’s consent. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 16(b)(4). With consent of opposing counsel, counsel may file a letter request for an extension of time to file papers. Similarly, counsel may submit a letter request to adjourn a scheduled oral argument date with consent of opposing counsel, so long as the request is submitted at least five business days before the scheduled argument date. When submitting such a letter request, counsel for the requesting party shall discuss proposed new dates with opposing counsel to confirm availability and shall include those proposed dates in the letter. Counsel seeking to adjourn a criminal matter should ensure that such request complies with Local Rule of Criminal Procedure 12(g).
Source page web_or_saved_captureAdjournments
All letter requests should be filed via CM/ECF and emailed to chambers at sinatra@nywd.uscourts.gov. Absent consent of opposing counsel, a motion to extend time or to adjourn must be filed with the Court. The Court does not require courtesy copies of such motions.
Source page web_or_saved_captureCommunications with chambers
Immediately after filing a request for injunctive or expedited relief, the moving party must telephone chambers to notify the Court that the motion was filed. The Court will determine the briefing schedule and return date for such motions.
Source page web_or_saved_captureCommunications with chambers
All inquiries shall be directed to the courtroom deputy clerk. Unless otherwise directed, parties shall not communicate with the Court via fax. Junior Lawyers
Source page web_or_saved_captureMotion practice
The Court strongly encourages participation of relatively inexperienced attorneys in all court proceedings—including conferences, oral arguments, hearings, and trials. Any attorney who appears in court should have the authority and experience necessary for the proceeding. For example, an attorney attending a scheduling conference should have the authority to commit his or her client to a schedule and should be prepared to address other matters likely to arise, such as whether the Court should schedule a settlement conference before the assigned Magistrate Judge. And if a relatively inexperienced attorney needs supervision at a court proceeding to ensure the client is represented competently, a supervising attorney should be present. To that end, the Court will permit split arguments, in which both a relatively inexperienced attorney and a more experienced or supervising attorney may speak.
Source page web_or_saved_captureFiling and working copies
Judge Sinatra leaves it to the discretion of the party seeking sealing to consider which option is appropriate in each case. Parties should request to seal an entire document only where necessary. Submissions in support of sealing should explain why redactions or a sealed supplement are unworkable.
Source page web_or_saved_captureShared court rules
Western District of New York — Local Rules of Civil Procedure
U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
WDNY federal district-court civil proceedings only; not criminal proceedings or Bankruptcy Court.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025
U.S. District Court for the Western 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 Western 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 3, 2026.
Federal Judicial Center biography
Identity source · HTML · Federal Judicial Center Biographical Directory · effective December 5, 2019 · 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 ↗