Louis Lee Stanton at a glance
- Current role
- Senior Judge
- Jurisdiction
- New York · Federal
- Judicial service
- Active
Louis Lee Stanton
Senior 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 · Senior · July 18, 1985–present · Assignment source ↗
Appointment and verification
- Appointment method
- Presidential appointment with Senate confirmation
- Appointing authority
- Ronald Reagan
- Source authority
- Federal Judicial Center Biographical Directory
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Biography
Professional career
- Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, a position he has held since October 1, 1996
- Judge, District Court, S.D. New York, 1985-1996
Education
- Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1955
- Stanton was a U.S. Merchant Marine Academy cadet midshipman from 1945 to 1947 and held the role of a U.S. Marine Corps Reserve First Lieutenant from 1950 to 1952.
- Yale University in — B.A. (1950)
Additional information
- He assumed senior status on October 1, 1996
- The U.S. Senate confirmed him on July 16, 1985, and he received his commission on July 18, 1985.
- Nominated by President Ronald Reagan on June 12, 1985, to a seat on the Southern District of New York bench vacated by Henry F. Werker.
- Private practice, New York City, 1955-1985
- After law school, Stanton practiced law in New York City from 1955 to 1985.
- Born October 1, 1927, New York City.
- Date of birth: 1927-01-01
- Birth place: New York, 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 (32 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. Except as otherwise provided below, communications with chambers shall be by letter, with copies simultaneously delivered to all counsel. Copies of correspondence between counsel shall not be sent to the Court.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
C. Faxes & Emails. Faxes and emails to chambers are not permitted.
Source page 1Adjournments
E. Requests for Adjournments or Extensions of Time. All requests for adjournments or extensions of time must state (1) the original date, (2) the number of previous requests for adjournment or extension, (3) whether these previous requests were granted or denied, and (4) whether the adversary consents, and, if not, the reasons given by the adversary for refusing to consent. If the requested adjournment or extension affects any other scheduled dates, a proposed Revised Scheduling Order (reflecting only business days) must be attached. If the request is for an adjournment of a court appearance, absent an emergency it shall be made at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled appearance.
Source page 1Motion practice
conference with the court is required before making anymotion, except applications for temporary restraining orders or for injunctive relief, motions made by persons in custody, motions to dismiss in lieu of an answer, motions for reduction of sentence, motions for reargument, motions to affirm or vacate an arbitration award, Pro Hac Vice motions, and appeals from a magistrate judge’s rulings. To arrange a pre- motion conference, the moving party shall submit a letter not to exceed three pages in length setting forth the basis for the anticipated motion.
Source page 2Communications with chambers
B. Courtesy Copies. Courtesy copies of all motion papers, marked as such, should be submitted to chambers at the time papers are served. [C. Memoranda of Law. Omitted.]
Source page 2Motion practice
D. Filing of Motion Papers. Motion papers shall be filed promptly after service.
Source page 2Motion practice
F. Paragraphs A and D above do NOT apply to any of the motions described in Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 4(a)(4)(A). A pre-motion conference is not required before making such motions, which should be filed when served.
Source page 2Filing and working copies
G. In all submissions to Judge Stanton where exhibits are attached, the exhibits shall be separated by index tabs so that the particular exhibit may be readily located within the group of exhibits.
Source page 2Filing and working copies
A. 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.
Source page 2Motion practice
B. Sealing/Redactions 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 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 2Motion practice
The motion to seal 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 3Motion 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 3Motion 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 3Filing 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 3Discovery
A. Joint Pretrial Orders in Civil Cases. Subsequent to the completion of discovery, parties in civil actions will be required to file a pre-trial order which shall conform to the guidelines set forth in this memorandum. At trial, the parties may only offer proof with respect to the disputed facts contained in the pre- trial order. The agreed facts will automatically become part of the record.
Source page 3Conferences and appearances
The time limits for the filing of the pre-trial order will be established by the Court at a pre-trial conference. Since Judge Stanton's procedure differs substantially from that of other judges of this Court, counsel should review it carefully before beginning to prepare their order. A sample pre-trial order has been annexed as a guide at the end of these rules.
Source page 4Discovery
1) Promptly after the completion of discovery, plaintiff shall serve on defendant a set of proposed findings of ultimate fact, without evidentiary detail, which would be sufficient to sustain a judgment for plaintiff if these facts were ultimately found to be true. Twenty findings should be sufficient in most cases.
Source page 4Discovery
b. Defendant shall serve on plaintiff proposed counter-findings of ultimate fact with respect to the contested findings. With each counter-finding, defendant shall list the evidentiary source which supports his or her contentions, such as the page number of a deposition, name of a witness, exhibit or photograph.
Source page 4Trial exhibits and witnesses
4) At this point the parties should meet to collate the various disputed and undisputed proposed findings, submitting to the court ONE CONSOLIDATED pre-trial order signed by all the parties to the action. This pre-trial order will consist of (1) a section containing agreed findings of fact, (2) a section containing plaintiff's proposed findings of fact with evidentiary sources, (3) a section containing defendant's proposed findings of fact listed immediately after the proposed finding it supports with evidentiary sources, (4) a joint list of expert witnesses, identified by name, and the party calling said witness(es), (5) a list of premarked joint trial exhibits which the parties agree may be received in evidence, (6) a list of other premarked exhibits which the parties do not agree may be received in evidence, together with the basis for objection and citation to the applicable Federal Rule of Evidence, and (7) a section indicating whether the action is a jury or nonjury matter and estimating the trial time which each party will require.
Source page 5Filing and working copies
When expert witnesses will be used to support disputed findings, the party who will call the expert must submit to his adversary and file with the Court on or before the submission date of the pre-trial order, a sworn statement, executed by the expert witness, summarizing his or her education and professional background and his or her direct testimony. References to any documents or sources on which the expert will rely must also be included. When the expert is a doctor, however, the medical report will be accepted in lieu of an affidavit.
Source page 5Trial exhibits and witnesses
5) Finally, with the pre-trial order the parties shall each submit trial briefs on contested issue(s) of law, requests to charge, proposed voir dire, and copies of the expert's sworn statements, if applicable. Trial briefs should also identify and address any evidentiary issue(s) likely to arise at trial. Briefs should be concise, declaratory statements of the law without unnecessary detail or recitation of facts. Each statement of law in the briefs must be supported by citation to appropriate authority.
Source page 5Adjournments
1) Trial Date. All trial settings are firm. The court clerk will be happy to answer your questions as to how the schedule appears, but reliance upon such information will not justify a continuance. Counsel with out-of-town witnesses or other special scheduling problems may request appropriate consideration by presenting an application well before the trial date.
Source page 6Filing and working copies
2) Pre-trial Submissions. In jury trials, counsel are required to submit at the time the joint pre-trial order is filed (1) a brief discussing the issues to be tried (2) proposed voir dire questions and a list of individuals, companies or other entities that may appear as witnesses or otherwise be referred to during the trial, (3) proposed jury charges. In bench trials, unless otherwise instructed, counsel are required to submit proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law with their trial briefs.
Source page 6Trial exhibits and witnesses
3) Exhibits. Counsel should stipulate to the foundation for all exhibits whose authenticity is not questioned. Trial time will not be wasted on unnecessary foundation testimony. All exhibits should be marked prior to introduction. No trial time will be used for this purpose.
Source page 6Trial exhibits and witnesses
At the beginning of the trial, a complete extra set of documentary exhibits should be handed to the Judge for his use during the trial. Upon application, the court may excuse a party from this requirement where it would be burdensome.
Source page 6Adjournments
The trial Judge should be alert to the distracting effect on the jury during the taking of evidence of frequent bench conferences between counsel and the judge out of the hearing of the jury, and should postpone the requested conference to the next recess except when an immediate conference appears necessary to avoid prejudice.
Source page 6Trial exhibits and witnesses
d. In your opening statement to the jury, do not argue the case and do not discuss law. Confine yourself to a concise summary of the important facts. Do not describe in detail what particular witnesses will say. Unless the case is unusually complex, each party will be limited to 10 minutes.
Source page 7Trial exhibits and witnesses
e. Please stand when you question witnesses. (Counsel with physical disabilities will be excused from this requirement). Do not pace about the courtroom when questioning witnesses. This distracts the jury and wastes time.
Source page 7Motion practice
g. When you object, make your objection short and to the point. Do not argue the objection in the presence of the jury, and do not argue with the ruling of the court in the presence of the jury. Do not make motions (e.g., a motion for a mistrial) in the presence of the jury. Such matters may be raised at the first recess.
Source page 7Trial exhibits and witnesses
h. Do not face or otherwise appear to address yourself to jurors when questioning a witness.
Source page 7Trial exhibits and witnesses
i. The jury should hear the instructions on the law of the case from the court, an impartial source. In your final argument, you may tell the jury what you believe the substance of the court's instruction on a particular subject will be, but do not read or quote any instruction.
Source page 7Communications with chambers
1. ABC communicated to Sunnyside in April 1976 that it did not intend to be obligated under the CBB credit after the expiration date of June 1, 1976 and unless the requisite documents were received. (Testimony of Samuel Smith; text of CBB credit, Joint Trial Exhibit 1).
Source page 10Shared 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 July 18, 1985 · 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 ↗