Colleen Rae Lawless
Court record, service history and public docket data for Judge Lawless.
How Judge Lawless decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
An unopposed motion is very likely to be granted. Where no timely response is filed, she states that she presumes there is no opposition and cites the local rule that says so, then grants on good cause. Six of the seven leave-to-file and over-length motions in this sample were expressly described as unopposed or unobjected-to, and all were granted.
“Because no response was timely filed, the Court presumes Defendants have no opposition to the motion. See CDIL-LR 7.1(B)(2). For good cause shown, Plaintiff's Motion for Permission to Proceed under Pseudonyms [Doc. 2] is GRANTED.”
On unopposed procedural motions she adopts the reasons stated in the motion itself rather than writing her own, so the motion's own recitation of good cause is doing the work. Drafting that recitation carefully matters more than briefing it separately.
“For the reasons stated therein, Plaintiff's Motion 22 is GRANTED. The Clerk is directed to file the Reply attached to Plaintiff's Motion for Leave to File.”
She will revisit her own rulings. A reconsideration motion in this sample succeeded in reversing an earlier grant outright, with a revised written opinion replacing the original. A prior adverse ruling from this judge is not necessarily the end of the issue.
“Defendants Motion for Reconsideration of the prior Order granting Plaintiff's Motion to Proceed under a Pseudonym [Doc. 37] is GRANTED. Plaintiff must litigate under his real name.”
Procedural preferences
She sets oral argument on her own motion, without either side asking. This happened three separate times in this sample, on arbitration, dismissal, and class certification motions, each time by videoconference with instructions attached. Expect to argue a contested motion before her whether or not you request a hearing.
“Before the Court is Defendants' Motion to Compel Arbitration pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act 4 . The Court sua sponte sets oral argument on the motion on 9/7/2023 at 3:00 p.m. by videoconference, the instructions for which are attached.”
Argument is heard and the matter is then taken under advisement for a written ruling; she does not rule from the bench on contested motions. The hearing minute entries in this sample close by stating that a written order will follow.
“Arguments heard as to Motion to Compel 4 . Written Order to be entered. Hearing adjourned.”
When she grants a motion to dismiss, the usual disposition is without prejudice with a fixed short window to replead, commonly twenty-one days. Both merits dismissals in this sample took that form rather than ending the case outright.
“Defendant's Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 7 ) is GRANTED. Plaintiff's Complaint (Doc. 1 -1) is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE. Plaintiff may file an amended complaint within 21 day s of this Order.”
Cautions
The replead window she gives is a real deadline. When an amended complaint was not filed within the twenty-one days she allowed, she closed the case and entered judgment for the defendant without further notice or a show-cause step.
“On 1/31/2024, the Court dismissed Plaintiff's Complaint without prejudice and gave him 21 days to file an amended complaint. Plaintiff has not filed an amended complaint. Accordingly, the Clerk is DIRECTED to close this case and enter judgment for Defendant.”
Her first-entered disposition is not always the final one. In two cases in this sample an initial ruling was superseded weeks later by an amended or revised written opinion. Before relying on a ruling of hers, check whether a later amended version of the same opinion was entered.
“AMENDED OPINION entered by Judge Colleen R. Lawless on 10/23/2025. Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 12 ) is GRANTED without prejudice as to Counts I, II, and III.”
Contested dispositive motions can sit for a long time after argument. The motion to dismiss in this case was set for argument on October 20, 2023 and was not decided until September 25, 2024, roughly eleven months later. Build scheduling expectations around a long post-argument wait.
“Accordingly, the Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 19 ) is DENIED as to Count IV and GRANTED as to the following claims and defendants: 1) Counts II and IV; 2) Defendant Fleenor;”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
- The motion-bearing cases include employment and disability discrimination suits, a consumer arbitration dispute, a Title IX and civil rights case against a state university, prisoner civil rights matters, a fair debt collection case, and a class action challenging a state sex offender registry classification.
- The sample was selected to locate quotable motion outcomes and is not a full-tenure subject-matter estimate.
Draft for Judge Lawless with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Lawless, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
Opens in Ezel Pro.
- Grounded in Judge Lawless's own signed orders
- Cites every source it relies on, so you can verify it
- Chat, drafting and research in one workspace