Bernard Alvin Friedman
How Judge Friedman rules, drawn from 22 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Friedman
Bernard A. Friedman is a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan, Judge Friedman received a commission on April 20, 1988. Judge Friedman assumed senior status on January 1, 2009.
Judge Friedman's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Friedman, as published on the court's website (checked October 8, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
Key rules
Motions
Motions in limine must be filed no later than one week prior to trial.
“Motions in limine must be filed no later than one week prior to trial.”
Discovery
The Court requires parties to meet before discovery motions to narrow the areas of disagreement.
“The Court requires parties to meet before discovery motions to narrow the areas of disagreement.”
Trial
The Court requires that exhibits be exchanged at least one week before trial.
“The Court requires that exhibits be exchanged at least one week before trial.”
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 8, 2026).
- Procedures for Access, Service, and Management of Sealed Documents ↗
- Procedures for the Filing, Service and Management of Highly Sensitive Documents ↗
- Standing Order for Discovery and Inspection and Fixing Motion Cut-Off Date in Criminal Cases ↗
- Pro Se Filings (Revised & Amended) ↗
- Filing a New Civil Case or Civil Initiating Papers Under Seal ↗
How Judge Friedman decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In an FTC credit repair enforcement action, he denied the individual defendants’ dismissal motion after finding the complaint plausibly alleged their control over the business entities and awareness of deceptive practices.
“Read together, the FTC’s allegations (1) raise a plausible inference that the Individual Toloff Defendants have the authority to control the Business Entities”
Procedural preferences
In an FMLA suit, he denied an early summary judgment motion despite the plaintiff’s lack of a Rule 56(d) affidavit because her brief made the need for employer-size discovery clear.
“the need is sufficiently apparent from her response brief.”
Cautions
In a challenge to Detroit’s marijuana licensing ordinance, he granted a preliminary injunction after finding its long residency preference bore little relation to the stated goal of repairing harm from the War on Drugs.
“As presently drafted, the Ordinance is far more protectionist than it is equitable.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“IT IS ORDERED that the Toloff Defendants' motion to dismiss the complaint (ECF No. 78) is denied.”
“ORDERED that the motion for attorney's fees (ECF No. 249) is DENIED.”
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the motion to stay proceedings (ECF No. 11) is GRANTED IN SO FAR AS the proceedings are STAYED and the Court will hold the habeas petition in abeyance.”
“IT IS ORDERED that the government's motion to dismiss the petition for a writ of habeas corpus for lack of subject matter jurisdiction (ECF No. 1) is granted.”
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that defendants' motion to dismiss [docket entry 6] is granted.”
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment [docket entry 10] is denied as moot.”
Friedman adopted Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Stafford's unopposed R&R directing non-party witness Abdul Baydoun to sit for a deposition and ordering him to show cause why he should not be held in civil contempt for failing to appear. The order did not resolve a party's dispositive motion. Quote: 'Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Stafford's November 9, 2023 Report and Recommendation (ECF No. 196) is hereby accepted and adopted.' Signed s/Bernard A. Friedman.
“IT IS ORDERED that defendants' motion to dismiss the complaint, without prejudice, is granted.”
“IT IS ORDERED that plaintiff's motion for summary judgment is granted as to both Count I and Count II.”
“IT IS ORDERED that defendant's motion for summary judgment is denied.”
“Both sides' requests for sanctions are denied.”
“IT IS ORDERED that defendants' motion to dismiss [docket entry 8] is granted.”
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that defendants' motion for sanctions [docket entry 11] is denied.”
“IT IS ORDERED that defendant's motion to dismiss is granted.”
“IT IS ORDERED that defendant's motion to dismiss is granted.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The reviewed matters combine Judge Friedman's directly assigned cases and his signed orders. During his senior service, the sample is weighted toward warrant and miscellaneous duty matters and prisoner habeas petitions, along with contract and trade-secret civil cases. The mix is descriptive rather than a complete caseload count.
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 | 0 |
| Report | Motions over six months | Cases over three years |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2024 | 8 | 3 |
| Sep 2023 | 0 | 7 |
| Mar 2023 | 0 | 10 |
| Sep 2022 | 3 | 7 |
| Mar 2022 | 0 | 6 |
| Sep 2021 | 0 | 4 |
| Mar 2021 | 0 | 6 |
| Sep 2020 | 1 | 4 |
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 U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, not for Judge Friedman: 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 | 2,926 | 8.3 months |
| Closed with no court action | 410 | 2.9 months |
| Closed before pretrial | 1,246 | 4.1 months |
| Closed during or after pretrial | 1,252 | 15.3 months |
| Closed during trial | 18 | 35.8 months |
| 12 months ending | Cases closed | Median time |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 2,926 | 8.3 months |
| Sep 2024 | 2,615 | 7.9 months |
| Sep 2023 | 2,616 | 8.5 months |
| Sep 2022 | 2,541 | 9.2 months |
| Sep 2021 | 2,405 | 10.2 months |
| Sep 2020 | 2,677 | 9 months |
| Sep 2019 | 3,237 | 8.6 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 Friedman with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Friedman, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
Opens in Ezel Pro.
- Grounded in Judge Friedman's own signed orders
- Cites every source it relies on, so you can verify it
- Chat, drafting and research in one workspace