Joel Schneider

U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey magistrate Retired 2021 · served 2006–2021 15 signed orders read

Judge Schneider no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.

How Judge Schneider decides

Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

What persuades

He requires competent evidence, not attorney argument, before crediting a discovery objection. A work-product claim fails without a sworn declaration explaining why a document was made because of anticipated litigation rather than in the ordinary course of business, and a Rule 35 mental-exam or intrusive-records request fails on a conclusory expert letter that does not explain why existing discovery is insufficient.

“Wawa's motion is denied because it has not produced any competent evidence that Curley's interviews and summaries were prepared in anticipation of litigation.”

He treats a party's privacy and dignity interests as a real check on Rule 26 proportionality, not a formality -- a plaintiff who files a lawsuit for emotional distress does not thereby open her entire medical or sexual history to discovery merely because the records 'might' contain something useful.

“By merely filing a lawsuit claiming emotional distress a plaintiff does not open up to discovery her entire medical history.”

Signed rulings

A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.

Louisiana Counseling and Family Services, Inc. v. Mt. Fuji Japanese Restaurant
1:08-cv-06143-JHR-JS · 2013-05-01
Motion to compel expedited discovery (defendant) Denied

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED this 1st day of May, 2013, that the Motion to Compel Expedited Discovery/Extend Time for Discovery filed by defendant Hello Gorgeous is DENIED.”

Browning v. Safmarine, Inc.
1:11-cv-02436-JHR-JS · 2012-11-07
Motion to amend (plaintiff) Granted

“For all the foregoing reasons, the Court finds that plaintiff's proposed amended complaint naming Jaco as a defendant relates back under Rule 15(c)(1)(C). Accordingly, plaintiff's "Second Motion to Amend Complaint" is GRANTED”

Bobryk v. Durand Glass Manufacturing Co., Inc.
1:12-cv-05360-NLH-JS · 2013-10-09
Motion to limit class communications (plaintiff) Denied

“Accordingly, for all the foregoing reasons, plaintiffs' motion is DENIED. An appropriate order will be entered.”

Cantrell v. Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (In re Valsartan N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), Losartan, and Irbesartan Products Liability Litigation)
1:19-cv-14891-RBK-JS (Master No. 19-2875) · 2020-02-27
Motion to withdraw as counsel (plaintiffs' counsel) Denied

“Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED this 27th day of February, 2020, that counsel's Motions to Withdraw are DENIED without prejudice”

Murray v. Pinnacle Foods Corporation of Delaware
1:08-cv-00647-RMB-JS · 2008-06-27
Motion to amend (plaintiff) Denied

“IT IS hereby ORDERED this 27th day of June, 2008, that plaintiff's Motion to Amend is DENIED. The Court finds that plaintiff's fraudulent concealment claim based on documents defendant already produced is futile. As to documents that have not been produced, plaintiff's motion is DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE”

Motion for sanctions (defendant) Denied

“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that defendant's Cross-Motion for Sanctions is DENIED.”

Robinson v. Winslow Township
1:11-cv-00530-NLH-JS · 2012-01-13
Motion for protective order (defendant) Denied

“For all the foregoing reasons, the Court finds that Wawa has not satisfied its burden of showing that the requested documents were prepared in anticipation of litigation. Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED this 13th day of January, 2012, that Wawa's Motion for Protective Order is DENIED.”

Worster-Sims v. Tropicana Entertainment, Inc.
1:13-cv-01981-RBK-JS · 2014-09-10
Motion to amend (defendant) Denied

“The Court has now permitted Atlantic City three opportunities to plead a viable third-party complaint against Cantera. Each of these attempts has failed. Thus, Atlantic City's motion is denied with prejudice. ... IT IS HEREBY ORDERED this 10th day of September, 2014, that defendant's Motion for Leave to Amend Pleading to Include a Third-Party Complaint Against Beau Cantera [Doc. No. 74] is DENIED.”

Wyndham Vacation Ownership, Inc. v. Vacation Select Services Consulting, LLC
1:18-cv-11636-RMB-JS · 2020-09-16
Default judgment (plaintiff) Granted

“This matter comes before the Court upon the Report and Recommendation of the Honorable Joel Schneider, U.S. Magistrate Judge entered on September 1st, 2020... which recommended that plaintiff's request for final default judgment, permanent injunction, and costs and attorneys' fees be granted. ... IT IS HEREBY ORDERED ... that this Court ADOPTS the Report and Recommendation”

Estate of Joseph P. Reese v. Speedway Investments, Inc.
1:16-cv-02785-JS · 2018-05-08
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“For the reasons discussed above, plaintiff's summary judgment motion will be denied. An appropriate accompanying Order will be entered.”

DelConte v. Monroe Township Board of Education
1:19-cv-13731-RBK-JS · 2020-10-16
Motion to disqualify counsel (defendant) Denied

“Accordingly, for all the foregoing reasons, it is hereby ORDERED this 16th day of October 2020, that defendants' "Motion to Disqualify Counsel" [Doc. No. 49] is DENIED.”

Somogyi v. Freedom Mortgage Corp.
1:17-cv-06546-RMB-MJS · 2020-10-20
Motion for class settlement approval (plaintiff) Granted

“Accordingly, for all the foregoing reasons, plaintiffs' "Motion for Final Approval of Class Action Settlement" is granted.”

S. Freedman and Company Inc. v. Raab
1:06-cv-03723-RBK-JS · 2008-10-06
Motion to stay pending appeal (defendant) Denied

“Accordingly, for all the foregoing reasons IT IS on this 6th day of October 2008 hereby ORDERED that Defendants' Motion for a Stay of Proceedings Pending Appeal is DENIED.”

A historical record

Judge Schneider no longer hears cases. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.