Laurie Jill Michelson
How Judge Michelson rules, drawn from 37 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Michelson
Laurie Jill Michelson is a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Appointed by President Barack Obama, Judge Michelson received a commission on March 14, 2014.
Judge Michelson's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Michelson, 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.
- Practice Guidelines ↗
- Brief Certification Form ↗
- Case Management Requirements ↗
- Example Scheduling Order ↗
- Order Regarding Consent to Magistrate Judge Jurisdiction ↗
- Order of Facilitation ↗
- Example Criminal Trial Notice and Scheduling Order ↗
- Example Scheduling Order for Preliminary Injunction Motion ↗
Key rules
Motions
Parties should notify the case manager by telephone upon filing a motion for a temporary restraining order.
“Parties should notify the case manager by telephone upon filing a motion for a temporary restraining order.”
Motions
Parties should also notify the case manager by telephone upon filing of a motion for preliminary injunction.
“Parties should also notify the case manager by telephone upon filing of a motion for preliminary injunction.”
Discovery
After a failed discovery meet and confer, schedule a telephone conference with the court before filing a motion.
“In the event these good-faith efforts are unsuccessful, the moving party is required to schedule a telephone conference with the Court in a further effort to resolve the discovery dispute prior to filing any motion.”
Discovery
Each side must submit a one-page dispute summary through CM/ECF Utilities at least 24 hours before that conference.
“At least 24 hours prior to the conference, each side shall submit a one-page summary of the dispute via the link for proposed orders located under the Utilities section of CM/ECF.”
Discovery
Attach complete disputed discovery requests and responses to any resulting discovery motion.
“The motion must attach a complete copy of the discovery requests and responses in dispute.”
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 Michelson decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
On a Rule 12(b)(6) motion she confines review strictly to the four corners of the complaint: a plaintiff cannot rehabilitate a conclusory complaint through arguments or new allegations raised in a response brief. Plead the facts in the complaint itself.
“A plaintiff’s response brief to a motion to dismiss cannot cure a deficient complaint. ... it is black-letter law that ... a court evaluating ... a motion to dismiss[] must focus only on the allegations in the pleadings.”
In Shaik v. Finnegan, she dismissed the plaintiff's summary-judgment motion without prejudice as premature because the defendants had not yet been served and the parties had held no scheduling conference or discovery.
“Shaik’s motion is premature. The parties have not yet had a scheduling conference with the Court, let alone engaged in any discovery. ... Pre-discovery motions for summary judgment are generally disfavored. ... And pre-service motions certainly are premature.”
On unobjected-to R&Rs she applies the Sixth Circuit's procedural-default rule (Walters / Thomas v. Arn): failure to file specific objections waives review even at the district-court level. Object specifically and on time to preserve any review.
“The Court finds that the parties’ failure to object is a procedural default, waiving review of the Magistrate Judge’s findings by this Court. ... a party shall file objections with the district court or else waive right to appeal.”
In Bell, an amended complaint replaced the original pleading and made a motion against it moot; the court denied a later request to revisit that result. Direct dismissal arguments at the operative complaint.
“Thus, the Court denied as moot Defendants’ initial motion to dismiss. (ECF No. 27.)”
In Smith, the court set aside default after finding service deficient and deferred substantive relief until the defendant was properly served.
“The Court GRANTS Defendant’s motion to the extent she asserts she was improperly served and seeks to set aside the clerk’s entry of default.”
Cautions
Construes pro se filings liberally but enforces basic pleading requirements equally against represented and self-represented plaintiffs: liberal construction is 'not boundless'.
“while a pro se litigant’s complaint must be construed ‘liberally,’ ... the Court’s leniency is ‘not boundless.’ ... Basic pleading requirements ‘apply to self-represented and counseled plaintiffs alike.’”
In Good Business’s fire-insurance case, Michelson dismissed the takings and inverse condemnation claims because the plaintiff had not shown a protected property interest in the withheld funds.
“Good Business has not shown the deprivation of a property interest.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“this Court DENIES Plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment (R. 14) and GRANTS Defendant’s motion for summary judgment (R. 16).”
“the Commissioner’s motion for summary judgment (R. 13) is GRANTED and the Plaintiff’s motion (R. 12) is DENIED.”
“Hire Counsel’s motion to dismiss (ECF No. 13) is GRANTED. Counts I, III, and IV are DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE to refiling if administrative remedies are timely and properly exhausted. Counts V and VI are DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE to refiling in state court. Count II is DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.”
“the Court DISMISSES Shaik’s Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 23) without prejudice to refiling at the appropriate time.”
“Trans Union’s motion to dismiss is GRANTED and the case is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.”
“Queen’s motion for reconsideration is GRANTED IN PART and the Court VACATES the portion of its opinion that concluded it lacked jurisdiction over the motion.”
“The Court reiterates that holding here, and denies Queen’s motion to alter or amend the judgment on the merits.”
“the Court GRANTS Owens' motion for partial summary judgment”
“the Court DENIES IN PART Defendants' motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 46) as it relates to Reiff's excessive force claim against Officer Setty and GRANTS IN PART the Defendants' motion as to Reiff's Monell claim against Clinton Township”
“the Court will exercise its discretion to stay the case”
“will deny the motion to dismiss without prejudice to refiling”
“Defendants' Motions to Dismiss (ECF Nos. 12, 16, 19) are GRANTED, and Carr's complaint (ECF No. 1) is DISMISSED”
“the Court finds that $15,000 per infringing mark, for a total of $45,000 in statutory damages, is appropriate”
“the Court DENIES Cammon's motion for partial reconsideration”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The reviewed matters include a notable share of False Claims Act cases, along with consumer-reporting, employment-discrimination, civil-rights, Social Security, and criminal cases. Her duty assignments also include warrant matters, which are not treated as merits cases.
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 | 9 |
| Report | Motions over six months | Cases over three years |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 9 |
| Sep 2025 | 0 | 12 |
| Mar 2025 | 0 | 12 |
| Sep 2024 | 1 | 9 |
| Mar 2024 | 1 | 9 |
| Sep 2023 | 0 | 8 |
| Mar 2023 | 0 | 9 |
| Sep 2022 | 0 | 17 |
| Mar 2022 | 6 | 19 |
| Sep 2021 | 3 | 18 |
| Mar 2021 | 6 | 18 |
| Sep 2020 | 4 | 14 |
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 Michelson: 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 Michelson with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Michelson, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
Opens in Ezel Pro.
- Grounded in Judge Michelson's own signed orders
- Cites every source it relies on, so you can verify it
- Chat, drafting and research in one workspace