Lena M. James
How Judge James rules, drawn from 5 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge James
Lena M. James has served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Middle District of North Carolina since December 2013. Her judicial service is based in that district.
Judge James's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge James, as published on the court's website (checked October 11, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
- Policies and Procedures ↗
- Zoom Appearance Procedures ↗
- Subchapter V Statement in Support of Confirmation ↗
Key rules
Filing
Double-space briefs and statements of undisputed material fact and use 12-point type.
“All Briefs and Statements of Undisputed Material Fact filed in a case must be double-spaced and typed in 12-point font.”
Conferences
Debtor’s counsel need not appear for an uncontested Chapter 13 motion if the trustee files “No Objection/Comments,” no one else objects, and chambers has not directed appearance by noon the prior day.
“For uncontested motions or applications set for hearing on the chapter 13 calendar, counsel for the debtor will not be required to appear, provided that all the following conditions are satisfied: The chapter 13 trustee dockets a ‘No Objection/Comments’ ECF event; No other responses or objections are filed; and Chambers has not put a ‘Comment’ on the docket by 12:00 p.m. the day prior to the scheduled hearing directing counsel to appear.”
Conferences
Request remote appearance before Judge James at least 48 hours before the hearing and state whether all parties consented.
“Requests must be made no later than 48 hours prior to the hearing and indicate whether all parties have consented.”
Trial
Remote participants before Judge James may not examine or cross examine witnesses.
“remote means will not be permitted to examine or cross examine any witness,”
Trial
Move for permission for remote witness testimony at least seven days before the hearing after conferring with interested parties.
“After conferral, the offering party must file a motion requesting such authority under Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9017 and Fed. R. Civ. P. 43(a) at least seven (7) days prior to the hearing.”
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 11, 2026).
- Standing Order Regarding Procedures for the Filing, Service, and Management of Highly Sensitive Documents (25-01) ↗
- Standing Order Regarding Attorney’s Fees for Representation of Debtors and Secured Creditors in Chapter 13 Cases (25-02) ↗
- Standing Order Regarding Procedures in Aid of the Administration of Chapter 13 Cases (24-03) ↗
How Judge James decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
In Saslow v. Enova Textiles, Judge James denied partial summary judgment where the trustee’s pleaded claims presumed the defendants’ liens were valid and gave them no burden to prove those liens at that stage.
“the Defendants will not be required to prove what the Amended Complaint takes for granted.”
Cautions
A debtor's failure to provide accurate notice, communicate promptly, and mitigate avoidable damages weighed against sanctions for a technical stay violation.
“Overall, the record leaves the impression of an opportunistic debtor creating the conditions for a technical violation of the stay and then seizing upon the creditor’s misstep to pursue manufactured damages akin to those discussed in Preston.”
In Muhammad, revocation for failure to establish vehicle insurance compliance fell within the Bankruptcy Code’s governmental police-power exception; this was not treated as debt collection.
“NCDMV’s enforcement of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-311 by revoking, and refusing to reinstate, the Debtor’s registration is excepted from the automatic stay as action taken to enforce a governmental unit’s ‘police or regulatory power.’”
In In re Keller, Judge James held that a state environmental enforcement action seeking only injunctive relief fell within the police and regulatory power exception to the automatic stay.
“Court Action, which seeks only injunctive relief, falls within the police and regulatory power exception to the automatic stay.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Therefore, for the foregoing reasons, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Debtor’s Amended Motion for Sanctions against Weidl Properties LLC is DENIED.”
“Accordingly, and for the reasons stated above, it is hereby ORDERED that the motion to dismiss the Second Cause of Action is GRANTED. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the motion to dismiss as to the First and Third Causes of Action for failure to state a claim is DENIED.”
“For the foregoing reasons, the Debtor’s Motion is DENIED in its entirety.”
“On June 25, 2026, the Court entered an order granting the State’s Motion”
“For the foregoing reasons, it is hereby ORDERED that the Plaintiff’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment is DENIED.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
All eight sampled matters were terminated. Seven streams supplied 24 express motion outcomes, while one supplied no separately classifiable disposition.
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Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge James, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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