Jennifer Louise Rochon
How Judge Rochon rules, drawn from 7 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
How Judge Rochon decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Construes pro se filings liberally and will even consider factual allegations raised only in a pro se plaintiff's opposition papers, so long as they are not inconsistent with the complaint.
“the submissions of a pro se litigant must be construed liberally and interpreted ‘to raise the strongest arguments that they suggest.’”
On a CAFA removal of a New York GBL class action, the removing defendant bears the burden; statutory minimum and treble damages a plaintiff could not have sought in a state-court class action under C.P.L.R. 901(b) are excluded from the amount-in-controversy, and Shady Grove does not change that because it governs actions originally filed in federal court, not removed ones.
“Plaintiff is correct that the statutory minimum damages and treble damages should be excluded from the Court’s amount-in-controversy calculation, since he has not sought them and would be barred from seeking them in the class action he filed in New York state court.”
Enforces a broad website-user arbitration clause for claims related to use or access even when a separate company may have completed the disputed transaction; a general inducement challenge does not avoid the severable arbitration clause.
“The obligation to arbitrate is based on the User Agreement, not the alleged transaction for the Tottenham tickets.”
Procedural preferences
In ADA Title III (serial-tester) suits she front-loads the standing question: her standing order directs the parties to meet and confer and to consider whether the plaintiff has Article III standing before litigating, citing the Second Circuit's Calcano and Harty decisions.
“In their discussions, the parties should consider whether plaintiff has satisfied the threshold requirement of standing. See, e.g., Calcano v. Swarovski N. Am. Ltd., 36 F.4th 68, 77-78 (2d Cir. 2022); Harty v. W. Point Realty, Inc., 28 F.4th 435, 443-44 (2d Cir. 2022).”
Applies the strong preference for resolving cases on the merits when deciding whether to vacate default, weighing willfulness, a potentially meritorious defense, prejudice, and that institutional preference.
“there is a the strong preference for resolving cases on the merits weighing in favor of vacating the default.”
Cautions
Service on a United States agency is enforced strictly under Rule 4(i): a plaintiff must serve the U.S. Attorney for the district, the Attorney General, AND the agency; serving only the agency is insufficient and supports 12(b)(5) dismissal.
“Pandya’s filing does not indicate that he served the Attorney General or the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, both of which are also required under Rule 4(i). ... Accordingly, Pandya has not adequately the served the SEC, and the Court grants the SEC’s motion to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b)(5) for insufficient service of process.”
The United States and its agencies are immune from suit absent an express congressional waiver, and the plaintiff bears the burden of establishing that a claim falls within an applicable waiver; a generalized 'negligence' argument does not waive sovereign immunity.
“The United States and its agencies, including the SEC, are immune from suit unless ‘Congress has expressly waived sovereign immunity.’”
Will deny another amendment when the plaintiff already amended in response to identified deficiencies and later requests leave only in a boilerplate sentence without explaining how new allegations would cure them.
“Because Plaintiff’s amended complaint did not remedy the defects in the original complaint, the Court declines to grant Plaintiff another opportunity to amend.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“For the reasons set forth below, the Court GRANTS the SEC’s motion and dismisses the Amended Complaint without leave to amend, and DENIES as moot Pandya’s motion for summary judgment.”
“Accordingly, the Court also denies as moot Pandya’s motion for summary judgment.”
“For the following reasons, Plaintiff’s motion is GRANTED and Defendant’s motion is DENIED as moot.”
“Defendant’s motion to dismiss is DENIED without prejudice as moot.”
Rochon dismissed the original pro se complaint on screening to the extent it asserted claims for other entities, sought criminal prosecution of others, or brought sovereign-immunity-barred claims against the Securities and Exchange Commission. She granted the plaintiff 30 days to amend. Because no party motion was decided, the order is excluded from motion statistics.
“For the reasons stated on the record, the Petition is DENIED.”
“For the foregoing reasons, Defendant’s motion to dismiss the Amended Complaint is DENIED as to Plaintiff’s GBL claims and Plaintiff’s claims under the consumer-fraud statutes of the additional states. Defendant’s motion to dismiss is GRANTED as to Plaintiff’s other claims.”
“For the foregoing reasons, StubHub’s motion to compel arbitration is GRANTED, and the Court hereby STAYS the case pending completion of arbitration proceedings.”
“StubHub’s motion to dismiss is DENIED without prejudice as moot.”
“Plaintiff’s cross-motion to amend the complaint is DENIED.”
“Defendant's motion to vacate the default judgment (ECF No. 28) is GRANTED. The certificate of default (ECF No. 11) is VACATED.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 155 days (N = 10).
Median motion-to-ruling time: 14.5 days (N = 12).
- Active, high-volume SDNY civil + criminal docket.
- Nature-of-suit mix observed across enumerated dockets (qualitative, not a census): a 2025-2026 surge of 463 Habeas Corpus - Alien Detainee petitions; recurring 446 ADA Title III (serial-tester) accessibility suits; 710 FLSA / labor; 820 Copyright and 840 Trademark (incl. 'Schedule A' IP-enforcement actions); 442 employment civil rights; securities (e.g. Heilbut v. Cassava Sciences); qui tam (United States v. Docusign); plus a criminal calendar and high-profile P.I. matters (e.g. Doe v. Combs).
- Among terminated CIVIL dockets, resolution is dominated by settlement and Rule 41 voluntary dismissal rather than merits ruling.
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