Katharine H. Parker at a glance
- Current role
- U.S. Magistrate Judge
- Jurisdiction
- New York · Federal
- Judicial service
- Active
Katharine H. Parker
U.S. Magistrate 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 · U.S. Magistrate Judge · Active · Assignment source ↗
Appointment and verification
- Source authority
- Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
Biography
Professional career
- U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, appointed on November 4, 2016, and serving in Courtroom 17D at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse, 500 Pearl Street, New York, NY 10007
- Before joining the federal judiciary, Parker was a partner at Proskauer Rose LLP in New York, where she worked from 1993 onward in areas such as labor and employment law, fair housing, civil rights, and contract matters.
- Law Clerk, U.S. District Court - District of Connecticut (to Warren Eginton)
- Appointed by the judges of the Southern District of New York to an eight‐year renewable term as a magistrate judge
Education
Additional information
- Magistrate, District Court, S.D. New York, 2016-present
- Practitioner, Proskauer, 1993–2016-11
- J.D. — Fordham Univ. — 1992
- B.A. — Duke Univ. — 1989
- She also served in roles including Employment Law Counseling & Training, Government Regulatory Relations, and Affirmative Action
- Parker has been active in the New York City Bar Association (Disability Law Committee) and the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.
- She has also supported the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Girl Be Heard, and the Little Orchestra Society, receiving the Fairy Godmother Award from Girl Be Heard and the Jeremy Epstein Award for Pro Bono Service from the NYC Bar Association
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 (2 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
II. Pleas. At least 24 hours in advance of a plea, the indictment/information, plea agreement, a summary of the elements of the offense(s), and the maximum and mandatory penalties for each crime/count should be emailed to Parker_NYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov.
Source page 1Filing and working copies
III. Misdemeanor Sentencing. Pre-sentence submissions for misdemeanors should be submitted no later than 2 weeks before the scheduled sentencing.
Source page 1Published judge / part rules (48 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
a. Letters. Communications with the Court should be by letter filed on ECF except for settlement conference submissions and in camera submissions. Letters may not exceed 3 single-space pages in length (exclusive of exhibits).
Source page 1Communications with chambers
Pro Se Parties. By Standing Order, a pro se party must mail all communications with the Court to the Pro Se Intake Unit located at 500 Pearl St., Room 230, New York, NY 10007. A pro se party may not call Chambers or send any document or filing directly to Chambers. Submissions requiring immediate attention should be hand-delivered to the Pro Se Intake Unit. Unless the Court orders otherwise, all communications with the Court will be docketed upon receipt; such docketing shall constitute service on any user of the ECF system. If any other party is not a user of the ECF system (e.g., if there is another pro se party in the case), a pro se party must send copies of any filing to the party and include proof of service affirming that he or she has done so. Copies of correspondence between a pro se party and opposing parties shall not be sent to the Court. Question can be directed to the pro se unit at (212) 805-0175.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
1 Requests for reasonable accommodations on account of disability or religion with respect to the Court’s rules or in connection with any proceeding before Judge Parker may be emailed to Parker_NYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov. Counsel and parties are invited to inform the Court of their preferred pronouns.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
Communications between parties and discovery requests and responses should not be filed with the court (except as exhibits to an otherwise properly filed document).
Source page 2Adjournments
b. Letter-Motions. Letter motions shall be filed on ECF in accordance with the S.D.N.Y. Local Rules and the S.D.N.Y. Electronic Case Filing Rules and Instructions. Requests that may be made by letter motion include requests for a discovery conference to address a discovery dispute before formal motion practice, adjournments, extensions, pre-motion conferences, sealing, and requests for a settlement conference. Letter motions are limited to 3 single-space pages (not including exhibits).
Source page 2Adjournments
c. Requests for Adjournments or Extensions of Time. Absent good cause, any request for extension or adjournment shall be made at least 48 hours or 2 business days, whichever is greater, before the deadline or scheduled appearance.
Source page 2Adjournments
All requests for adjournments or extensions of time must be filed on ECF as letter-motions. The letter-motion must state: (1) the original date(s); (2) the number of previous requests for adjournment or extension; and (3) whether the adversary consents and, if not, the reasons given by the adversary for refusing to consent.
Source page 2Communications with chambers
d. Hand Deliveries. Hand-delivered mail should be left with the Court Security Officers at the Worth Street entrance of 500 Pearl Street and may not be brought directly to Chambers.
Source page 2Communications with chambers
e. Faxes. No faxed communications shall be permitted without prior permission from Judge Parker’s Chambers. Faxes must not exceed three pages.
Source page 2Filing and working copies
f. Courtesy Copies. As a general rule, and except as otherwise specified herein, no physical/paper courtesy copies of documents filed on ECF should be sent to Judge Parker.
Source page 2Communications with chambers
g. Docketing, Scheduling and Calendar Matters. For docketing, scheduling and calendar matters, please email Judge Parker’s Chambers email. Please allow for at least two business days for a response.
Source page 2Conferences and appearances
h. ECF. All counsel are required to register promptly as ECF filers and to enter an appearance in the case. The pertinent instructions are available on the Court website, at http://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/ecf_filing.php. Counsel are responsible for updating their contact information on ECF, should it change, and they are responsible for checking the docket sheet regularly, regardless of
Source page 2Discovery
a. Initial Case Management Conference. Before the Initial Case Management Conference, parties must meet and confer on a discovery plan. One week before the scheduled conference, the parties shall file on ECF Proposed Case Management Plan and Report on Rule 26(f) Meeting. For non-pro se cases, the parties should use the template form Proposed Case Management Plan and Report on Rule 26(f) Meeting. For cases involving pro se litigants, the parties may use the simpler Proposed Case Management Plan for Pro Se Cases. Both forms are available at https://nysd.uscourts.gov/hon-katharine-h-parker.
Source page 3Discovery
b. Case Management Conferences. The Court holds regular case management conferences. Counsel are expected to be prepared for such conferences and ready to discuss the status of discovery, the potential for settlement, and any other issue. In some cases, the Court may require a joint pre-conference agenda letter. Joint pre-conference agenda letters shall be limited to 6 pages and filed a week in advance of a conference unless otherwise specified or permitted by the Court.
Source page 3Communications with chambers
c. Discovery Disputes. Parties shall follow Local Rule 37.2 with the following modifications. Any party wishing to raise a discovery dispute with the Court must first confer in good faith with the opposing party, in person or by telephone, in an effort to resolve the dispute. If this meet-and-confer process does not resolve the dispute, the party may submit an ECF letter-motion to the
Source page 3Motion practice
Court or, if applicable, to the Pro Se Intake Clerk, no longer than 3 single-space pages, explaining the nature of the dispute and requesting a conference. Such letter must include a representation that the meet-and-confer process occurred and state when it occurred. Any responsive letter should be submitted within 3 business days after submission of the letter-motion. The Court will endeavor to resolve the issue during a conference without the need for formal briefing.
Source page 4Conferences and appearances
However, if formal briefing is required, the Court will set a schedule for such briefing at the conference.
Source page 4Motion practice
Parties shall keep in mind Rule 1 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which requires the Court and the parties to construe, administer, and employ the rules of procedure to secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action. Parties also shall keep in mind Rule 26(b)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which provides that “[p]arties may obtain discovery regarding any nonprivileged matter that is relevant to any party’s claim or defense and proportional to the needs of the case, considering the importance of the issues at stake in the action, the amount in controversy, the parties’ relative access to relevant information, the parties’ resources, the importance of the discovery in resolving the issues, and whether the burden or expense of the proposed discovery outweighs its likely benefit.” Discovery motions should address these rules to the extent applicable.
Source page 4Motion practice
a. Conferences of Counsel Before Filing Motions Under Rule 12(b) or (c). Except in cases involving pro se parties, if a motion pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b) or 12(c) is contemplated, the plaintiff or counterclaimant must indicate whether it wishes to amend the subject pleading before motion practice, and the parties must consider in good faith a stipulation permitting such amendment. If the parties are unable to reach a resolution, counsel for the moving party shall include the following statement in the notice of motion: “This motion is made following the conference of counsel, which took place on [date]. Plaintiff [or Counter Claimant] declined an opportunity to amend.”
Source page 5Motion practice
b. Pre-Motion Conferences. A pre-motion conference is required for all motions except (i) letter motions specified in 1(b) above; (ii) motions that are required by the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure or the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to be made by a certain time, (iii) motions by litigants in actions where a party is incarcerated and pro se, (iv) motions for reconsideration, (v) motions for a new trial, (vi) motions in limine, (vii) motions to dismiss habeas corpus petitions, (viii) motions for default (see also Appendix A); and (ix) motions for judgment on the pleadings or summary judgment in social security cases.
Source page 5Communications with chambers
Letters requesting a pre-motion conference should summarize the basis of the motion and follow the procedures for communicating with the Court set forth in Section I. Letters may not exceed 3 pages. Within 3 business days of receipt of the letter, each opposing party may submit a written response of no more than 3 pages. The Court will, as soon as possible thereafter, hold the pre-motion conference. The filing of a request for a pre-motion conference to dismiss prior to the Answer stays the time for the filing of an Answer until after the conference is held or until further order of the Court.
Source page 5Motion practice
c. Memoranda of Law. The formatting and length of motion papers must conform to Local Civil Rule 7.1. Memoranda of law may only exceed the length limitations set forth under Local Civil Rule 7.1 if prior permission has been granted.
Source page 5Communications with chambers
All moving papers, letter-motions, and letters filed on ECF or emailed to chambers must be in searchable PDF form. Additionally, to the extent citing unreported cases, parties are requested to use Westlaw citations whenever possible.
Source page 5Filing and working copies
d. Redactions and Filing Under Seal. All Confidential Materials filed with the Court may be redacted or filed under seal only as the Court directs upon appropriate application by either party or as required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2, which describes sensitive information that must be redacted from public court filings.
Source page 6Filing and working copies
To avoid the unnecessary filing of documents under seal, counsel for the parties will discuss, in good faith, the need to file Confidential Materials under seal. If the parties agree in writing that a particular document that has been designated Confidential Material shall not be filed under seal, that document can be filed without redaction and such filing will not be a breach of any Stipulation of Confidentiality.
Source page 6Motion practice
Any party wishing to file in redacted form any pleading, motion, memorandum, exhibit, or other document, or any portion thereof, based on a party’s designation of information as Confidential, must make a specific request to the Court by letter motion explaining the reasons for seeking to file that submission under seal and addressing the request in light of the Court of Appeals’ opinions in Lugosch v. Pyramid Co. of Onondaga, 435 F.3d 110 (2d Cir. 2006) and Bernstein v. Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossman LLP, 814 F.3d 132 (2d Cir.
Source page 6Motion practice
Letter Motions for approval of sealed or redacted filings in civil and miscellaneous cases and the subject documents, including the proposed sealed document(s), 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 6Motion 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 to be filed under seal.
Source page 6Motion 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 6Motion 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 proposed redactions highlighted. Both documents must be electronically filed through the ECF system and related to the motion.
Source page 7Filing and working copies
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.
Source page 7Motion practice
If the Court approves the filing under seal, no further submissions shall be required. If the Court denies, in part, the motion for filing under seal, the party who made the submission shall be required to refile the document with modified redactions as directed by the Court. The Court will file under seal any clean and unredacted pages for which the Court has approved redactions.
Source page 7Motion practice
e. Oral Argument on Motions. Parties may request oral argument when the motion has been fully briefed. This request should be made by letter in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section I.
Source page 7Discovery
Joint Pretrial Orders. After the close of discovery, the Court will file a Scheduling Order scheduling a pre-trial conference and containing instructions for the parties’ Proposed Joint Pretrial Order. In general, except in pro se cases, a Joint Pretrial Order shall include, as
Source page 8Trial exhibits and witnesses
f. a statement as to how and when the parties will give notice to each other of the order of their trial witnesses and, if the parties cannot agree, the parties statement that they will agree to the Court’s default rule for trials of this length (i.e., that the parties shall advise each other by no later than 48 hours before the start of trial as to the order of their witnesses);
Source page 8Communications with chambers
The parties shall each send a courtesy copy of all exhibits, pre-marked, to Parker_NYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov. Exhibits need not be filed electronically on ECF. The parties shall also each submit one hard copy of the pre-marked exhibits in a well- organized three-ring binder separated by tab dividers.
Source page 9Discovery
In pro se cases, no Joint Pretrial Order is needed. Instead, within 30 days after the completion of discovery each party shall file its own Pretrial Statement. The pro se party’s Pretrial Statement need take no particular form, but must be concise and contain: (1) a statement of the facts the party hopes to prove at trial; (2) a list of all documents or other physical objects that the party plans to put into evidence at trial; and (3) a list of the names and addresses of all witnesses the party intends to have testify at trial. The Statement must be sworn by the party to be true and accurate based on the facts known by the party. The party must file an original Statement with the Pro Se Office (see I(a)) and serve a copy on all other parties or their counsel if represented. The original Statement must indicate the date a copy was mailed to the other party or that party’s attorney.
Source page 9Conferences and appearances
The Court believes the parties should fully explore settlement at the earliest practical opportunity. Early consideration of settlement allows the parties to avoid the substantial cost, expenditure of time, and uncertainty that are typically a part of the litigation process.
Source page 9Communications with chambers
a. Confidential. All settlement conferences are “off the record” and strictly confidential. All communications relating to settlement may not be used in discovery and will not be admissible at trial.
Source page 9Communications with chambers
d. Ex Parte Settlement Conference Summary Form and Letter. Unless otherwise directed by the Court, no later than 7 days before the Settlement Conference,
Source page 9Communications with chambers
each party must complete the Court’s Settlement Conference Summary Form found at https://nysd.uscourts.gov/hon-katharine-h-parker. Each party also must provide the Court with a letter, not to exceed three pages, summarizing the issues in the case, the settlement value of the case and rationale for it, case law authority relevant to settlement discussions, and any other facts that would be helpful to the Court in preparation for the conference. Parties may attach exhibits to their letters to the extent they believe the exhibits would aid settlement discussions. The Settlement Conference Summary Form and letter should be emailed to Parker_NYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov.
Source page 10Communications with chambers
e. Exchange of Demand/Offer. If the plaintiff has not already made a settlement demand, such a demand shall be communicated to the opposing party no later than 14 days prior to the conference. If it has not already done so, the opposing party shall respond to any demand no later than 8 days prior to the conference.
Source page 10Communications with chambers
f. Attendance. The parties – not just the attorneys – must attend the Settlement Conference in person. In the event personal attendance is a hardship, a party may make a written request no later than one week in advance of the conference to attend by phone. Each party must supply its own interpreter, if required. Corporate parties or labor unions must send the person with decision- making authority to settle the matter to the conference. Where liability insurance is involved, a decision-making representative of each carrier must attend unless specifically excused by the Court. Where any government agency is a party, counsel of record must be accompanied by a knowledgeable representative from the agency. In addition, in cases where the Comptroller of the City of New York has authority over settlement, the Assistant Corporation Counsel must make arrangements in advance of the conference for a representative of the Comptroller either to attend the conference or to be available by telephone to approve any proposed settlement.
Source page 10Conferences and appearances
h. Conference Location. Unless advised otherwise by the Court, the conference will take place in Courtroom 17D at 500 Pearl Street.
Source page 10Communications with chambers
i. Settlement Conference Materials: A courtesy copy of Ex Parte Settlement Conference Summary Forms and Letters shall be submitted to the Court if the exhibits to the Letter exceed 10 pages. Courtesy copies must be provided no later than one business day after submission of the Form and Letter. Courtesy copies should be placed in well-organized three-ring binder(s). Where appropriate, the binder(s) shall be separated by tab dividers preceded by an
Source page 10Filing and working copies
exhibit list. Courtesy copies must be provided no later than one business day after the filing.
Source page 11Communications with chambers
If a party is submitting a video, the clip shall be provided on a thumb drive delivered to Chambers and labeled with a case name and docket number. Alternatively, the clip may be emailed to the Chambers email address noted above.
Source page 11Motion practice
Parties should follow Local Civil Rule 55 regarding default judgment. In addition, parties shall provide the following information in the notice of motion or memorandum of
Source page 11Shared 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 29, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 2, 2026.
U.S. Courts judicial profile or roster
Identity source · HTML · Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts · Source checked July 29, 2026
View U.S. Courts judicial profile or roster ↗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 ↗CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · CourtListener / Free Law Project · Source checked August 2, 2026
View CourtListener judicial biographical directory ↗BR/MAG Judge Database: Katharine H. Parker
Identity source · HTML · University of Virginia School of Law Legal Data Lab · Source checked August 2, 2026
View BR/MAG Judge Database: Katharine H. Parker ↗