John W. Kolwe
How Judge Kolwe rules, drawn from 12 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Kolwe
John W. Kolwe has served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Western District of Louisiana since August 2015. Before joining the bench, he worked as a certified public accountant and practiced law in Lafayette. He earned degrees from Centenary College of Louisiana and Louisiana State University’s law center.
Judge Kolwe's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Kolwe, as published on the court's website (checked October 10, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
- Judge Kolwe chambers procedures ↗
- Judge Kolwe chambers procedures (PDF) ↗
- Court appearances and hearing methods ↗
Key rules
Contacting chambers
Obtain court approval before joining a hearing by telephone.
“NO Appearances by phone will be allowed without prior approval from the Court.”
Filing
Submit proposed orders electronically with a four-inch top margin, no judge signature line, and three centered pound signs at the end.
“All proposed orders must be submitted electronically. The first page of each order must contain a four-inch (4') top margin to accommodate the judge's electronic signature. Do not provide a date line or a signature line or block for the judge's signature. Each order must contain three (3) pound signs (###) centered at the end of the order.”
Motions
Upload a proposed order immediately with an emergency or expedited-hearing motion.
“All Motions to Expedite or for Emergency Consideration should be filed with an order uploaded immediately for Judge Kolwe's review and consideration.”
Motions
If expedited consideration is granted, immediately give opposing parties actual notice by telephone, email, or fax; mailed notice is insufficient.
“the party requesting the hearing must immediately give actual notice to opposing parties. ‘Actual notice’ may be accomplished by telephone, email or facsimile. Mailed notice is not adequate.”
Conferences
Proceedings are generally in person; status, scheduling, pretrial, discovery, and trial-docket-call matters are ordinarily remote.
“all proceedings in the Lafayette and Lake Charles Divisions of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Louisiana will take place in person, except for the following matters, which will be conducted remotely unless otherwise ordered by the Court: (i) status conferences, (ii) scheduling conferences, (iii) pretrial conferences, (iv) discovery hearings, and (v) trial docket calls.”
Conferences
File a motion for a discretionary remote appearance at least two business days before an in-person hearing, absent exigent circumstances.
“Any such motion shall set out compelling circumstances for allowing the remote appearance, and it must be filed by the close of business no later than two business days before the hearing, or it will not be considered except under exigent circumstances.”
Conferences
Request an agreed continuance by emailing chambers and copying every involved party.
“Matters set for hearing before the Court may be continued without a motion if ALL parties are in agreement by sending an email to [email protected] and copying ALL involved parties.”
Conferences
Seek a contested continuance by motion before the hearing and state the reason for the request and opposition.
“If all the parties DO NOT agree to a continuance, the party seeking to continue a matter must file a motion as soon as practicable prior to the scheduled hearing date. The motion must set forth the reason for the continuance and the reason it is opposed.”
Trial
File each exhibit in CM/ECF before the hearing as a separate attachment matching its exhibit-list number.
“exhibits must be filed in CM/ECF in advance of the hearing. Each exhibit must be filed as a separate attachment to the Exhibit List, and each exhibit must correspond to its item number on the Exhibit List.”
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 10, 2026).
How Judge Kolwe decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
The court separated dischargeability components and awarded judgment only where the prior record established the statutory element for that component.
“the award of these damages is nondischargeable because the debt resulted from a malicious or willful injury by the Debtor that caused a personal injury to Mr. LeBlanc.”
Procedural preferences
A party that knew of a Chapter 11 case but chose not to participate could not later use setoff or recoupment to avoid the confirmed plan's discharge and injunction.
“the Defendants would be barred from raising their setoff and recoupment claims defensively in this case even if the language of the confirmed Plan did not discharge and enjoin the assertion of those claims.”
Cautions
In a court-initiated sanctions order, unreliable citations and quotations led to a monetary sanction, required legal education, and striking of the filings.
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Ms. Wilson’s Objection (ECF # 63), Supplemental Response (ECF # 67), and Corrected Supplemental Response (ECF # 78) are STRICKEN as if they were never filed.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Accordingly, the Court will enter an order of relief under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code.”
“the Court finds that the Trustee has established as a matter of fact and law that the December 9, 2015 $24,500.00 payment was an avoidable transfer under § 547(b).”
“For the reasons set out above, LWC’s Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF #21) is GRANTED.”
“Crescent’s Motion to Dismiss (ECF #165) and Motion to Reconsider Transferring Venue (ECF #172) will be denied.”
“Crescent’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment will be granted in part as to claims under § 548(a) for transactions occurring more than two years prior to the petition date and under the Louisiana revocatory action (as applicable under § 550) for claims occurring prior to August 1, 2010, but will otherwise be denied.”
“Accordingly, Crescent’s Motion to Reconsider will be denied.”
“IT IS RECOMMENDED that the Non-Bank Defendants’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (ECF #397) be GRANTED IN PART as to Count 7 (Suit on Open Account). Otherwise, IT IS ORDERED that the Non-Bank Defendants’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (ECF #397) be DENIED IN PART”
“the Plaintiff’s and Crescent’s Motions for Partial Summary Judgment (ECF ##408 and 420) be DENIED.”
“Mr. LeBlanc is entitled to judgment on his Motion (ECF #17) declaring the damages award for defamation in the District Court Judgment is nondischargeable. Otherwise, Mr. LeBlanc’s Motion denied.”
“The Debtor’s Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF #20) is granted in part, in that the District Court’s award of costs and fees are declared to be dischargeable because those fees and costs would not have been recoverable as damages on a defamation claim under Louisiana law; otherwise, the Debtor’s Motion is denied.”
“Finally, the Plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (ECF #25) is granted”
“the Court will grant the Liquidating Trustee’s Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF #26)”
“deny the Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF #44)”
“deny the Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF #44) and Motion for Relief from Confirmation Order (ECF #45)”
“the Court concludes that the U.S. Trustee has carried his burden of proving that the Debtor’s discharge should be revoked under § 727(d)(1) and § 727(d)(2) as prayed for.”
“IT IS ORDERED that there be Judgment in favor of the Plaintiff, Fundamental Funding, LLC, and against the Defendant Debtor, Charles Stephen Goodman, rendering the Plaintiff’s claim against the Debtor nondischargeable”
“IT IS ORDERED that the Debtor’s Motion for Stay Pending Appeal (ECF #200) is DENIED”
In a court-initiated show-cause order, the court imposed a monetary sanction, required legal education, and struck filings containing unreliable authorities.
“Accordingly, Planet’s Motion (ECF # 24) is granted.”
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