Eva J. Dossier
How Judge Dossier rules, drawn from 72 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Dossier
Eva J. Dossier has served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana since April 2024. She graduated from Vanderbilt University Law School and practiced complex litigation and professional responsibility law in New Orleans before joining the court.
Judge Dossier's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Dossier, as published on the court's website (checked October 9, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
Key rules
Contacting chambers
Do not email the judge’s address unless specifically instructed to do so.
“Emails should not be sent to Judge Dossier’s address unless specifically instructed to do so.”
Discovery
File and resolve motions to compel before the discovery deadline expires.
“Motions to compel must be filed and resolved prior to the expiration of the discovery deadline.”
Conferences
Request a telephone status conference before reporting that no settlement dates are available.
“Before representing to the District Court that no settlement conference dates are available within the applicable timeframe, parties must request a telephone status conference with Judge Dossier to discuss any scheduling difficulties.”
Standing orders for every case in this court
Orders the court applies to all of its cases, whichever judge has them, as published on the court's website (checked October 9, 2026).
How Judge Dossier decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In Strausbaugh’s medical-care case, Dossier recommended denying the medical administrator’s motion to dismiss without prejudice after the plaintiff added factual allegations in his response.
“Given the substantive changes to plaintiff’s claims against defendant Tomlin, it would be more efficient to deny the pending motion to dismiss without prejudice.”
Procedural preferences
In one Social Security appeal, she affirmed the administrative decision after applying substantial-evidence review without reweighing the record.
“IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiff Anthony Carey's Motion for Summary Judgment (R. Doc. 18) is DENIED. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the decision of the Administrative Law Judge is AFFIRMED and that this matter is hereby DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.”
In one amendment dispute, she allowed an amended complaint after the opponents argued futility without explaining how their cited decisions foreclosed the proposed claims; she left the merits question for full briefing.
“Their five-page submission, however, does not describe the prior nor proposed new claims, much less explain how the jurisprudence described above forecloses them.”
In one disability appeal, she recommended remand because the vocational testimony identified skilled work without explaining how a claimant with no transferable skills could perform it.
“The VE testified that Claimant did not have any transferable skills from her past relevant work, 33 but did not explain why Claimant could perform the cited positions. Thus, the ALJ’s decision is not supported by substantial evidence.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiff Anthony Carey's Motion for Summary Judgment (R. Doc. 18) is DENIED. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the decision of the Administrative Law Judge is AFFIRMED and that this matter is hereby DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.”
“the Court adopts Magistrate Judge Dossier's R&R as its opinion. The Court DENIES WITHOUT PREJUDICE defendant April Tomlin's motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim.”
“the Court adopts Magistrate Judge Dossier's R&R as its opinion. Strausbaugh's motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction is DENIED.”
Her R&R adopted by Vance (clear error). Pro se pretrial-detainee 1983 excessive-force; mail returned 'NO LONGER IN CUSTODY', recommended DISMISSAL WITHOUT PREJUDICE for failure to prosecute (Rule 41(b)). This dismissal did not resolve a party motion.
“Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Personal Jurisdiction and Improper Venue (R. Doc. 37) be DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE”
“IT IS ORDERED that Defendants' Motion to Modify the Protective Order (R. Doc. 175) is DENIED”
Sua sponte recommendation of Rule 41(b) failure-to-prosecute dismissal without prejudice after the plaintiff neither paid the filing fee nor sought pauper status (no party motion).
“IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiffs’ Motion to Tax Reasonable Attorneys’ fees (R. Doc. 86) is GRANTED IN PART”
“Motion for Summary Judgment (R. Doc. 35) is DENIED”
“Motion for Sanctions (R. Doc 88) is GRANTED IN PART”
“IT IS RECOMMENDED that Plaintiffs appeal be denied and that this matter be DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE”
Screening recommendation of dismissal without prejudice for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction, finding the pro se Medicaid Act and Fourteenth Amendment claims frivolous.
Pending matters in the official report
Reported by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts under the Civil Justice Reform Act, as of March 31, 2026.
| Motions pending more than six months | 0 |
| Bench trials submitted more than six months | 0 |
| Bankruptcy appeals pending more than six months | 0 |
| Social Security appeals pending more than six months | 0 |
| Civil cases pending more than three years | 1 |
| Report | Motions over six months | Cases over three years |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 1 |
| Sep 2025 | 0 | 1 |
| Mar 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2024 | 0 | 0 |
A snapshot on that date: matters listed may since have been decided or reassigned. A motion referred to a magistrate judge is counted for both judges. Motions in multidistrict litigation, section 2255 cases and Social Security appeals are not counted, and a very large three-year count is generally a multidistrict docket. Source: Appendix A of the report (PDF); about the report.
How long civil cases take in this court
For the whole of United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, not for Judge Dossier: median time from filing to disposition of the civil cases the court closed in the 12 months ending September 30, 2025, as reported by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
| Cases | Median time | |
|---|---|---|
| All civil cases closed | 10,411 | 79.9 months |
| Closed with no court action | 3,511 | 86.6 months |
| Closed before pretrial | 2,814 | 14.6 months |
| Closed during or after pretrial | 4,062 | 86.8 months |
| Closed during trial | 24 | 23.2 months |
| 12 months ending | Cases closed | Median time |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 10,411 | 79.9 months |
| Sep 2024 | 6,506 | 10.7 months |
| Sep 2023 | 6,610 | 24.2 months |
| Sep 2022 | 8,635 | 69.4 months |
| Sep 2021 | 11,535 | 24.9 months |
| Sep 2020 | 16,631 | 36 months |
| Sep 2019 | 9,196 | 10.3 months |
The table leaves out prisoner petitions, land condemnations, deportation reviews, recovery of overpayments and enforcement of judgments, and reports no median for fewer than 10 cases. A district that closed a large multidistrict litigation in the period shows very large counts and long medians for that year. Source: Table C-5, U.S. District Courts (spreadsheet).
Draft for Judge Dossier with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Dossier, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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