Judith Ellen Levy
How Judge Levy rules, drawn from 43 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Levy
Judith Ellen Levy is a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Appointed by President Barack Obama, Judge Levy received a commission on March 14, 2014.
Judge Levy's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Levy, 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
Discovery
Parties are required to conduct a Rule 26(f) discovery conference and file their joint Rule 26 discovery plan on the docket via the CM/ECF system no later than three business days prior to the initial scheduling conference.
“Parties are required to conduct a Rule 26(f) discovery conference and file their joint Rule 26 discovery plan on the docket via the CM/ECF system no later than three business days prior to the initial scheduling conference.”
Sealing
When parties in a civil or criminal case seek to file materials under seal, they must file a motion to request an order from the Court permitting sealing—unless sealing is otherwise authorized by statute or rule.
“When parties in a civil or criminal case seek to file materials under seal, they must file a motion to request an order from the Court permitting sealing—unless sealing is otherwise authorized by statute or rule.”
Trial
No later than one week before the Final Pretrial Conference, each party shall make available for inspection all exhibits the party anticipates introducing at trial.
“No later than one week before the Final Pretrial Conference, each party shall make available for inspection all exhibits the party anticipates introducing at 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 Levy decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In McClintock v. Furman, Levy adopted an unopposed magistrate judge's recommendation after stating that she had reviewed its reasoning and result.
“No objections were filed. The Court has nevertheless carefully reviewed the Report and Recommendation and concurs in the reasoning and result.”
Procedural preferences
Objections to an R&R must be specific and must not merely restate the arguments already made to the magistrate judge; recycled arguments are overruled as improper.
“Objections that restate arguments already presented to a magistrate judge are improper ... as are those that dispute merely the general correctness of the report and recommendation.”
In English’s disability discrimination case, Levy dismissed the complaint after the amended pleadings and later letter failed to address the ADA pleading defect she had identified.
“None of these items respond to the Court’s original request as to his claim under the ADA”
Cautions
In Walkley and Ottoman's bankruptcy appeal, Levy dismissed under Bankruptcy Rule 8018 after the appellants failed to file a brief even after an extension. She also found the appeal moot.
“As of today’s date, which is nearly 11 months after the case was first filed, Appellants have not filed their brief. The Court therefore dismisses the appeal pursuant to Rule 8018(a)(4).”
In McKay’s civil rights case, Levy found the plaintiff had not identified precedent giving officers fair warning that a vehicle search during a traffic stop also constituted an unlawful seizure.
“Plaintiff nonetheless has not met his burden to identify a case that would give ‘fair and clear warning to officers’”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“For the reasons stated in the Court’s January 2, 2020 Opinion and Order Provisionally Granting Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss, Plaintiff has failed to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’ ... This case is DISMISSED.”
“Defendants’ motions to dismiss (ECF Nos. 29, 30) are DENIED.”
“the Government’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 16) is GRANTED”
“Plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 15) is DENIED.”
“For the reasons set forth below, the Court GRANTS the motion and dismisses the case. ... the Court dismisses the appeal pursuant to Rule 8018(a)(4). Accordingly, the Court GRANTS Appellee’s Motion to Dismiss.”
“The motion for summary judgment filed by Green and Mikat (ECF No. 17) is GRANTED”
“The motion for summary judgment filed by Ealey and Peterson (ECF No. 34) is GRANTED”
ORDER OF DISMISSAL under Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(b) for failure to prosecute / failure to comply with a court order: 'Accordingly, the case is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.' Pro se sovereign-citizen (Moorish-Nation) tax/property-eviction suit. Applies the Sixth Circuit's four-factor test (Knoll/Bay Corrugated): willfulness, prejudice, prior warning, lesser sanctions considered. This dismissal did not resolve a party motion.
“For the reasons set forth above, the Motion is DENIED.”
“the Court will not grant this motion for compassionate release.”
“Accordingly, the Court DENIES AS MOOT Plaintiff’s Motions. (ECF Nos. 105, 106.)”
“For the reasons set forth above, the Court DENIES WITHOUT PREJUDICE Plaintiff’s motion for appointment of counsel. (ECF No. 7.)”
“Defendant Mallett’s motion to dismiss, (ECF No. 2), is GRANTED; John Does 1–500 are DISMISSED;”
“Second Emergency Ex Parte Motion for Temporary Restraining Order, (ECF No. 25), is DENIED AS MOOT.”
Screened and dismissed a prisoner civil-rights complaint for failure to state a claim; the order resolved no party motion and is excluded from the motion statistics.
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
- The bounded 2021 civil sample spans employment and disability claims, banking and insurance disputes, Social Security review, copyright litigation, prisoner claims, and a postal-service tort suit.
- All fifteen selected files have recorded termination dates.
- Three of the new motion outcomes arise from one consumer-protection case, so the counts do not represent the full assigned caseload.
- An older June 2019 cohort supplies separate duration context.
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 | 17 |
| 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 | 18 |
| Report | Motions over six months | Cases over three years |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 17 | 18 |
| Sep 2025 | 4 | 20 |
| Mar 2025 | 3 | 99 |
| Sep 2024 | 4 | 97 |
| Mar 2024 | 9 | 96 |
| Sep 2023 | 5 | 97 |
| Mar 2023 | 7 | 97 |
| Sep 2022 | 14 | 87 |
| Mar 2022 | 22 | 80 |
| Sep 2021 | 15 | 77 |
| Mar 2021 | 16 | 57 |
| Sep 2020 | 7 | 50 |
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 Levy: 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 Levy with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Levy, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
Opens in Ezel Pro.
- Grounded in Judge Levy's own signed orders
- Cites every source it relies on, so you can verify it
- Chat, drafting and research in one workspace