Ajmel A. Quereshi
How Judge Quereshi decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
On Rule 55(c) motions to set aside a default he applies the Fourth Circuit's Colleton factors and leans toward resolution on the merits, but pairs the relief with an explicit warning that continued dilatory conduct will draw sanctions.
“the Court will grant Defendants' Motion to Vacate. ... However, the Court warns Defendants that further delays may result”
In Title VII / Section 1981 employment cases at the pleading stage he distinguishes a viable hostile-work-environment / discrimination claim (which survives) from a retaliation claim that fails for want of the required elements, dismissing claim-by-claim rather than wholesale, and granting leave to replead.
“Defendants' Motion to Dismiss, ECF No. 15, is granted, in part, and denied, in part. It is GRANTED as to Plaintiff's retaliation claim (Count II). It is DENIED as to Plaintiff's hostile work environment and race discrimination claims (Counts I, III).”
Procedural preferences
On motions for default judgment he writes a full R&R: he confirms liability on the well-pleaded allegations and then scrutinizes the damages/fees figure independently, recommending a precise dollar award (and declining amounts that lack supporting documentation) rather than rubber-stamping the plaintiff's number.
“it is recommended that Plaintiff's Motion for Default Judgment be granted in the amount of $406,736.22.”
Motion outcomes
Counted from classified signed orders only. Percentages are shown only where the sample is large enough to be meaningful; smaller samples are reported as raw counts.
| Default judgment N = 4 |
Granted: 3Granted in part: 1 | counts only |
| Motion to vacate default N = 1 |
Granted: 1 | counts only |
| Motions to dismiss N = 1 |
Granted in part: 1 | counts only |
A "1 of 1" is one ruling, not a tendency. Treat small samples as illustrative, not predictive.
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“For the reasons outlined above, Defendants' Motion to Vacate the Orders of Default, ECF No. 15, is GRANTED. The Court will set aside the entries of default, ECF Nos. 10, 13, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55(c).”
“Defendants' Motion to Dismiss, ECF No. 15, is granted, in part, and denied, in part. It is GRANTED as to Plaintiff's retaliation claim (Count II). It is DENIED as to Plaintiff's hostile work environment and race discrimination claims (Counts I, III).”
“For the aforementioned reasons, it is recommended that Plaintiff's Motion for Default Judgment be granted in the amount of $406,736.22.”
“I recommend that the Motion be granted, in part, and denied, in part, and that Plaintiffs be granted a permanent injunction, awarded statutory damages”
“For the following reasons, the Court shall recommend that the Motion be granted.”
“For the foregoing reasons, Plaintiffs' Amended Motion for Default Judgment, ECF No. 26, is granted. The Court recommends that damages be awarded in the amount of $146,838.47”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
His direct/consent caseload (assigned_judge='Ajmel Ahsen Quereshi') as enumerated newest-first is dominated by 2026-filed PENDING civil cases, heavily multiemployer-fund ERISA collection (Trustees of the National Electrical Benefit Fund v. Bravo Tree Service; Trustees of the National Automatic Sprinkler Industry Welfare Fund v. Cardinal Fire Protection; Trustees of the Heating, Piping and Refrigeration Pension Fund v. Innovative Mechanical) -- default-judgment territory -- plus FLSA (Poncio v. Whiting-Turner), Title VII/civil rights (Hawkins v. Montgomery County Board of Education; Simpson v. Montgomery County Government), diversity contract/franchise (Choice Hotels v. Shree Properties / v. MK Hospitality), and insurance-coverage (Charter Oak Fire Ins. v. Selective Ins.). These are 636(c) consent / direct-assignment dockets on which he is the judge of record. Nature-of-suit is unreported on much of this 2026 slice.