--- title: "Lee G. Dunst | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/lee-g-dunst-new-york-us-magistrate" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-08" --- # Lee G. Dunst U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York · U.S. Magistrate Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York - State: New York - Role: U.S. Magistrate Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-29 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### civil remote testimony Scope: 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. Evidence excerpt: 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](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: 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. Evidence excerpt: 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](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/cjra_na_0331.2026.pdf#page=13) - [Official roster](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/cjra_na_0331.2026.pdf#page=13) - [U.S. Courts judicial profile or roster](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/cjra_na_0331.2026.pdf#page=13) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/lee-g-dunst-new-york-us-magistrate", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/lee-g-dunst-new-york-us-magistrate", "name": "Lee G. 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Dunst", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/lee-g-dunst-new-york-us-magistrate" } ] } ] } ``` ## Biography ### Professional career - Began his judicial service on May 31, 2022, as a Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York - Early in his career, he served as a litigation associate at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP from 1993 to 1995 and clerked for Judge Reena Raggi of the Eastern District of New York from 1992 to 1993 - Judge Lee G. Dunst combines extensive experience in both government service and private practice with a structured and disciplined approach to his judicial duties, making him a respected figure in the Eastern District of New York - Prior to his appointment, he was a litigation partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in New York ### Education ### Additional information - He also held the role of an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York from 1995 to 2000, where he earned the Director’s Award for Superior Performance and acted as Deputy Chief of the Narcotics Section in Brooklyn. - Judge Dunst graduated magna cum laude from Brown University in 1986 and cum laude from New York University School of Law in 1992. - Between college and law school, he was employed as a television news writer and later as an account executive at a New York City advertising agency. - Judge Dunst has established individual rules and standing orders for his courtroom. - Public feedback on Judge Dunst indicates that while some find him gruff or impatient, his decisions are generally considered thoughtful and thorough. - Beyond the bench, Judge Dunst has spoken and written extensively on white collar regulatory issues and civil commercial litigation. - He has held the role of an Adviser to the American Law Institute’s Principles of the Law of Compliance Enforcement & Risk Management project and as a member of the Federal Bar Council American Inn of Court. - He has also been involved with the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center and Democracy Prep Charter School boards - focusing on white collar criminal and civil investigations, as well as complex civil litigation. ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [SDNY and EDNY — Joint Local Civil and Criminal Rules](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/ny-shared-set-201c11a4597834a9a953) — Federal district-court proceedings only. Civil and criminal sections have distinct scope and district-specific exceptions. Not Bankruptcy Court rules. [Official source](https://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/local_rules/2026-01-02%20-%20EDNY%20and%20SDNY%20Joint%20Local%20Rules%20As%20Amended.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — 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](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — 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](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.