--- title: "Steven I. Locke | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/steven-i-locke-new-york-us-magistrate" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-08" --- # Steven I. Locke 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. ## Biography ### Professional career - Law Clerk, U.S. District Court - Eastern District of New York, 1995–1997 (to Arthur D. Spatt) - Before his appointment, he served as a law clerk for United States District Judge Arthur D. Spatt from 1995 to 1997, gaining early experience in federal court procedures. - Highly experienced magistrate judge with a strong background in federal law, labor and employment practice, and judicial procedure - He also practiced labor and employment law, initially at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP and later in his own Manhattan-based practice United States Courts - Judge Locke has issued Reports and Recommendations (R&Rs) in civil cases, such as recommending dismissal under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b) for failure to prosecute, with clear instructions on objection deadlines and consequences for non-compliance - His education in law and economics, combined with his clerkship and private practice experience, informs his approach to managing cases in the Eastern District of New York ### Education - Hofstra University School of Law and holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Economics from Tufts University — J.D. ### Additional information - Magistrate, District Court, E.D. New York, 2014-present - Selected as a federal magistrate judge on August 1, 2014, serving an eight-year term that expired on July 31, 2022. - J.D. — Hofstra Univ. — 1993 - M.A. — Tufts Univ. — 1990 - B.S. — Tufts Univ. — 1989 — Economics - Practitioner, Carabba Lock LLP - Practitioner, Morgan Lewis & Brockus LLP - Practitioner, Law Offices of Steven L. Locke P.C. - Practitioner, Fox and Grove, Chartered - Judge Locke maintains specific individual rules and standing orders for his courtroom. - For example, parties must file letters seeking court intervention through ECF under Motions, provide courtesy hard copies for lengthy submissions, and obtain prior permission before filing documents under seal. - He also requires that adjournment and extension requests include the original date, reason, party consent, and count of prior requests, with alternative dates proposed when applicable - His academic background in economics complements his legal expertise, particularly in complex civil and employment cases - Federal magistrate judge in the Eastern District of New York, where he handles a variety of civil and criminal matters. ## 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) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9421/steven-i-locke/) - [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) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9421/steven-i-locke/) - [BR/MAG Judge Database: Steven Ian Locke](https://legaldatalab.law.virginia.edu/brmag-judges/brmag-judges.json) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9421/steven-i-locke/) - [BR/MAG Judge Database: Steven Ian Locke](https://legaldatalab.law.virginia.edu/brmag-judges/brmag-judges.json) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/steven-i-locke-new-york-us-magistrate", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/steven-i-locke-new-york-us-magistrate", "name": "Steven I. 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[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.