Stewart D. Aaron at a glance
- Current role
- U.S. Magistrate Judge
- Jurisdiction
- New York · Federal
- Judicial service
- Active
Stewart D. Aaron
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
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Biography
Professional career
- He is licensed to practice law in New York since 1984
- United States Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of New York, having been appointed to an eight-year term on December 1, 2017
- Began as an associate at Dorsey & Whitney in New York, then joined Arnold & Porter LLP, where he held the role of Administrative Partner (2005–2012) and Managing Partner of the New York office (2012–2015).
- His career reflects a dedication to legal excellence, justice, and mentorship, making him a respected figure in both the judiciary and the broader legal community
Education
- Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University in 1980 and graduated summa cum laude from Syracuse University College of Law in 1983, where he held the role of a notes and comments editor for the Syracuse Law Review.
- Rockland Community College
Additional information
- Magistrate, District Court, S.D. New York, 2017-present
- He has received several honors, such as the David Y. Hinshaw Award (2016), the Boris Kostelanetz President’s Medal (2023), and the Syracuse Law Review Alumni Achievement Award (2024)
- Judge Aaron has held leadership roles in the legal community, including President of the New York County Lawyers Association (2011–2013) and President of the New York American Inn of Court (2018–2020).
- Practitioner, Arnold & Porter, 2005–2017
- Practitioner, Dorsey & Whitney, LLP, 1983–2005
- J.D. — Syracuse Univ. — 1983
- B.S. — Cornell Univ. — 1980
- On the civil side, he manages pre-trial proceedings, conducts settlement conferences, and may preside over all aspects of civil cases with party consent
- His practice focused on litigation, including commercial and civil rights cases in state and federal courts
- In this capacity, he presides over both criminal and civil cases, including the opening phases of federal felony proceedings, presentments, detention decisions, guilty pleas, and search warrant applications.
- Aaron was raised in Haverstraw, New York, where he grew up above his parents’ store, The Village Shoppe.
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 (38 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. In general, communications with the Court should be by letter, via electronic case filing (“ECF”), without email or other copy to Chambers. Letters may not exceed 3 pages in length, exclusive of attachments, which should be kept to a minimum.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
B. 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 Street, Room 250, 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. Any non-incarcerated pro se party who wishes to participate in ECF must file a Motion for Permission for Electronic Case Filing, available in the Pro Se Intake Unit.2 Any non-incarcerated pro se party who wishes to receive documents by email instead of by regular mail may consent to electronic service by filing a Pro Se (Non-Prisoner) Consent & Registration Form to Receive Documents Electronically, available in the Pro Se Intake Unit.3
Source page 1Adjournments
C. Requests For Adjournments Or Extensions Of Time. Requests to adjourn a court
Source page 1Communications with chambers
1 Requests for reasonable accommodations on account of disability with respect to these rules may be sent by email to Aaron_NYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov.
Source page 1Motion practice
conference or court proceeding (including a telephonic court conference) or to extend a deadline must be made by Letter-Motion, after consultation with all
Source page 2Adjournments
(1) the original date of the conference, proceeding or deadline; (2) the number of previous requests for adjournment or extension; (3) whether these previous requests were granted or denied; (4) the reason for the present request;
Source page 2Adjournments
(5) whether all affected parties consent; and (6) if not, the reasons given for refusing. If the requested adjournment or extension affects any other scheduled dates, a proposed Revised Scheduling Order must be attached. All requests for extension of a deadline must be made in advance of the deadline to be extended. Absent unforeseeable emergencies, all requests for an adjournment of a court conference or other court proceeding (including a telephonic court conference) must be made at least 72 hours in advance of the proceeding to be adjourned, and must include at least two proposed dates, on which all counsel are available, for the adjourned proceeding.
Source page 2Communications with chambers
D. Hand Deliveries. Where permitted by these Rules, hand-deliveries 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. If the hand-delivery is urgent and requires the Court’s immediate attention, ask the Court Security Officers to notify Chambers that an urgent package has arrived that needs to be retrieved immediately by Chambers staff.
Source page 2Communications with chambers
E. Request For Device Orders. Attorneys’ use of electronic devices (including mobile telephones, personal electronic devices, computers, and printers) within the Courthouse and its environs is governed by the Court’s Standing Order M10-468.4 Counsel seeking to bring a device into the Courthouse shall submit a filled-in copy of the Electronic Devices General Purpose Form 5 to the Court by e-mail (Aaron_NYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov) at least 24 hours prior to the relevant trial or hearing. A request for a So-Ordered Device Order shall not be filed on ECF.
Source page 2Communications with chambers
A. Requirement To Meet And Confer. No discovery dispute shall be heard unless the moving party (including a non-party seeking relief) has first conferred in good faith with the adverse party or parties by telephone or in person in an effort to resolve the dispute. An exchange of letters or emails alone does not satisfy this requirement. Counsel must respond promptly and in good faith to any request from another party to confer in accordance with this paragraph.
Source page 3Motion practice
B. Letter-Motion For Discovery Conference. If the parties have met and conferred but cannot resolve their dispute, the moving party must request a discovery conference with the Court, by Letter-Motion, as required by Local Civil Rule 37.2.
Source page 3Motion practice
Letter-Motions may not exceed 3 pages in length, exclusive of attachments, which should be kept to a minimum, and must clearly set forth the issues in dispute and the relief sought. As part of the Letter-Motion, the moving party must certify that the required in-person or telephonic conference took place between counsel for
Source page 3Motion practice
1. Briefing Schedule. Unless the Court has ordered otherwise or the parties have agreed to a different briefing schedule, any opposition to a Letter- Motion shall be filed within three business days of the moving letter, and any reply shall be filed within one business day of the opposition. Letters in opposition and replies may not exceed three pages in length exclusive of attachments, which should be kept to a minimum. If the parties have agreed to a different briefing schedule, they must so inform the Court, either in the moving letter or as soon as agreement is reached. If the Letter-Motion requests emergent or expedited relief, opposing counsel are advised to file any opposition as promptly as possible.
Source page 3Communications with chambers
2. Courtesy Copies. Courtesy copies of Letter-Motions are not required unless the attached exhibits exceed ten pages, in which case one courtesy copy, marked as such, should submitted to Chambers promptly after filing.
Source page 4Filing and working copies
Courtesy copies should be printed on double-sided paper, and should bear the ECF header generated at the time of electronic filing and include protruding tabs for any exhibits. Bulky materials should be neatly bound, or placed in 3-ring binders, with appropriate dividers.
Source page 4Filing and working copies
3. Redactions And Filing Under Seal Pursuant to Rule 5.2 Of The Federal Rule of Civil Procedure. Rule 5.2 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure describes sensitive information that must be redacted from public court filings without seeking prior permission from the Court. These redactions and/or sealing may be performed without Court approval.
Source page 4Motion practice
4. Redactions And Filing Under Seal Through ECF. A party wishing to file a Letter-Motion (or opposition or reply) that contains material claimed by either party to require confidential treatment may file a redacted copy of the document on ECF, removing or concealing such information only to the extent necessary to safeguard information sought to be filed under seal.
Source page 4Motion practice
At the time of filing, the party also shall contemporaneously file the unredacted sealed document in the ECF system under seal, with the redactions highlighted. 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. Both documents must be electronically filed through the ECF system and related to the motion.
Source page 4Discovery
Within three business days of the date the redacted document is filed, the party filing the redacted document must file a letter on ECF in conformity with the court’s standing order, No. 19-MC-00583, and ECF Rules & Instructions, Section 6. 6 seeking permission to file the document, or a portion thereof, under seal. However, the parties are cautioned that the designation of documents as “confidential” for discovery purposes does not, without more, justify a sealing order. Thus, the letter must explain the need to withhold the material at issue from the public record notwithstanding the strong presumption of public access to “judicial documents” under the First Amendment and the common law. See Lugosch v. Pyramid Co. of Onondaga, 435 F.3d 110, 119-21 (2d Cir. 2006).
Source page 4Communications with chambers
If the Court does not approve the request for filing under seal, Chambers will cause the unredacted sealed document to be unrestricted and available on the public docket. 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 5Motion practice
C. Discovery Conferences/Oral Argument On Letter-Motions. It is the Court’s practice to hold a conference with the parties, where appropriate, to address any discovery disputes raised by Letter-Motion. The Court will decide the discovery dispute after the conference, based on the parties’ letters and matters discussed during the conference, unless a party shows – by separate application – good cause why more formal briefing is required.
Source page 5Motion practice
For motions other than discovery motions, a pre-motion conference is not required. A pre-motion conference may be requested by Letter-Motion where counsel believes that an informal conference with the Court may obviate the need for the motion or reduce the issues in dispute.
Source page 5Motion practice
A. Briefing Schedule. Unless the Court has ordered otherwise or the parties have agreed to a different briefing schedule, opposition and reply papers with respect to formal motions will be due in accordance with Local Civil Rule 6.1. The parties are strongly encouraged to agree on a reasonable briefing schedule before the moving papers are filed. If the parties have agreed to such a schedule, they must so inform the Court, either in the moving party’s notice of motion or by letter as soon as agreement is reached. Should the parties thereafter agree to modify their briefing schedule, they must promptly inform the Court of the new schedule by letter.
Source page 5Motion practice
B. Memoranda of Law. The typeface, margins and spacing of motion papers must conform to Local Civil Rule 7.1, which requires all text to be in 12-point type or larger, except for text in footnotes which may be 10-point type; all documents must have at least one-inch margins on all sides; and all text must be double- spaced except for headings, text in footnotes, or block quotations, which may be single-spaced.
Source page 5Motion practice
Unless prior permission has been granted, memoranda of law in support of and in opposition to motions may not exceed 8,750 words, and reply memoranda may not exceed 3,500 words.7 These limits do not include the caption, any index, table of contents, table of authorities, signature blocks, or any required certificates, but do include material contained in footnotes or endnotes.
Source page 6Communications with chambers
C. Courtesy Copies. At the time the reply is filed, one courtesy copy of all formal motion papers, marked as such, shall be submitted to Chambers promptly after filing by the moving party.8 Courtesy copies should be printed on double-sided paper, three-hole punched and should bear the ECF header generated at the time of electronic filing. Materials should be neatly bound in one three-ring binders (if possible), with appropriate dividers and protruding tabs for any exhibits. The spines of the binders should be labeled to include the name of the case, the case number and the nature of the materials included in the binder. The non-moving party must provide the movant with a set of its motion papers in time for the movant to deliver all motion papers to the Court.
Source page 6Communications with chambers
In the event that the courtesy copy would prove especially voluminous, counsel shall jointly email Chambers for further guidance.
Source page 6Motion practice
7 If the memoranda of law is filed by a party who is not represented by an attorney and is handwritten or prepared with a typewriter, briefs in support of and in response to a motion may not exceed 25 pages, and reply briefs may not exceed 10 pages.
Source page 6Communications with chambers
8 If a party is proceeding pro se, one courtesy copy of all formal motion papers, marked as such, should be submitted to Chambers by the non-pro se party at the time the reply is due.
Source page 6Motion practice
E. Redactions And Filing Under Seal. Filing under seal and redacting information not covered by Rule 5.2 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requires permission of the Court. Unless otherwise ordered, any party wishing to file a document or portion thereof under seal must do the following on or before the date on which the relevant brief, declaration or other document is due: (1) file a redacted copy of the document via ECF, from which the material claimed to require confidential treatment has been removed or concealed; (2) file the unredacted sealed document in the ECF system under seal. 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. Both documents must be electronically filed through the ECF system and related to the motion; and (3) file a letter on ECF seeking permission to file the document under seal and explaining the need to withhold the material at issue from the public record notwithstanding the strong presumption of public access to “judicial documents” under the First Amendment and the common law. See Lugosch v. Pyramid Co. of Onondaga, 435 F.3d 110, 119-21 (2d Cir. 2006). If a sealing request is based on another party’s designation of documents or information as “confidential,” the parties shall confer and jointly submit the request for sealing. However, the parties are cautioned that the designation of documents as “confidential” for discovery purposes does not, without more, justify a sealing order.
Source page 7Trial exhibits and witnesses
A. Applicability. The procedures set out below apply only to cases in which the parties have consented pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c) to have all proceedings before Judge Aaron, including trial.
Source page 7Motion practice
B. Joint Pretrial Order. Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, the parties shall submit to the Court for its approval a Joint Pretrial Order within 30 days after the date for the completion of discovery, or, if a summary judgment motion has been filed, within 30 days after the decision on the motion. The proposed Joint Pretrial
Source page 7Discovery
8. A statement by each party as to the witnesses whose testimony is to be offered in its case in chief, indicating whether such witnesses will testify in person or by deposition. Absent extraordinary circumstances, a party may not call as a witness in its case in chief any person not listed in the Joint Pretrial Order.
Source page 8Discovery
9. A designation by each party of deposition testimony to be offered in that party’s case in chief, referencing page and line numbers, with any cross- designations and objections by any other party. If there is no objection or cross-designation, the Court will deem the opposing party to have waived any such objection or cross-designation. Absent extraordinary circumstances, a party may not offer in its case in chief deposition testimony that is not listed in the Joint Pretrial Order.
Source page 8Trial exhibits and witnesses
10. A list by each party of exhibits to be offered in its case in chief. Each exhibit shall be pre-marked (plaintiff to use numbers, defendant to use letters). For each exhibit as to which there is an objection, the party objecting must briefly specify, next to the listing for that exhibit, the nature of the party’s objection (e.g., “authenticity,” “hearsay,” “Rule 403”). Any objection not listed shall be deemed waived. Absent extraordinary circumstances, a party may not offer in its case in chief any exhibit not listed in the Joint Pretrial Order.
Source page 8Filing and working copies
C. Filings Prior to Trial. Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, each party shall file 15 days before the date of commencement of trial if such a date has been fixed
Source page 9Motion practice
3. In all cases, motions addressing any evidentiary or other issues which should be resolved in limine.
Source page 9Discovery
D. Marking Exhibits for Trial. At the commencement of trial, each party must provide each other party, and the Court, with a tabbed binder or binders containing double-sided courtesy copies of its trial exhibits and deposition designations.
Source page 9Shared 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: Stewart D. Aaron
Identity source · HTML · University of Virginia School of Law Legal Data Lab · Source checked August 2, 2026
View BR/MAG Judge Database: Stewart D. Aaron ↗