Jessica G. L. Clarke

How Judge Clarke rules, drawn from 13 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Court
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Position
district
Appointed by
Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Democratic)
Commissioned
2023-04-20
Education
Northwestern University (B.A., 2005); Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law (J.D., 2008)
Signed orders read
13

How Judge Clarke decides

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

Procedural preferences

On a magistrate judge's report and recommendation to which no party objects, she reviews the record for clear error and adopts the recommendation in its entirety.

“Despite the waiver, the Court has reviewed the petition and the Report and Recommendation, unguided by objections, and finds the Report and Recommendation to be well reasoned and grounded in fact and law. Accordingly, the Report and Recommendation is ADOPTED in its entirety. The Clerk of Court is directed to close the case.”

Cautions

She independently examines her own subject-matter jurisdiction before reaching the merits, denying a motion to dismiss as moot and remanding to state court where complete diversity is lacking.

“For the foregoing reasons, Defendants' motion to dismiss is DENIED as moot. The Clerk of Court is respectfully directed to terminate ECF No. 147 and remand this case to the Supreme Court of New York, County of New York, and to close this case.”

On motions for reconsideration she applies a strict standard, denying relief where the movant identifies no overlooked controlling decision or data and merely seeks to relitigate.

“As such, and for the reasons set forth in the Order, the Motion for Reconsideration is DENIED. The Clerk of Court is directed to terminate ECF No. 258.”

In Dempsey, she required objective proof of timely mailing for a tax-refund claim and found an affidavit and a dated return insufficient without a postmark or registered or certified mailing receipt.

“neither of these show proof of a timely mailing by a postmarked envelope, or the postmarked registered or certified mailing receipt.”

Signed rulings

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

Colson v. Mingo
1:18-cv-02765 · 2024-03-08
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted in part

“Defendants' motion for summary judgment is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part. ... Plaintiff's due process claims are DISMISSED. ... the motion is DENIED with respect to Plaintiff's conditions of confinement and excessive force claims.”

The Burlington Insurance Company v. PCGNY Corp.
1:20-cv-10381 · 2024-09-16
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Granted in part

“Judge Aaron's Report and Recommendation is ADOPTED in its entirety. The Court enters a declaration that Burlington (1) has no duty to defend and/or indemnify PCGNY and/or Skyline under its Policies in connection with the claims in the Underlying Action, (2) is permitted to withdraw from the defense it is currently providing PCGNY in the Underlying Action under one of its policies, and (3) has no duty to reimburse Affiliated for the sums incurred by it”

Colson v. Mingo (jury trial judgment)
1:18-cv-02765 · 2025-03-28

Final judgment after a 7-day jury trial before Clarke (Mar 17-25, 2025) on the Eighth Amendment conditions-of-confinement and excessive-force claims that survived summary judgment. The jury returned a verdict for defendants; judgment entered dismissing the complaint. The Second Circuit later affirmed (mandate received 2026-02-11).

Franco v. American Airlines, Inc.
1:21-cv-05918 · 2024-10-18
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“The R&R is ADOPTED in its entirety and Defendant's motion for summary judgment is GRANTED. The Clerk of Court is directed to close the case and to mail a copy of this Order to Plaintiff.”

Tounkara v. Republic of Senegal
1:21-cv-08027 · 2023-12-27
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“Despite the waiver, the Court has reviewed the petition and the Report and Recommendation, unguided by objections, and finds the Report and Recommendation to be well reasoned and grounded in fact and law. Accordingly, the Report and Recommendation is ADOPTED in its entirety. The Clerk of Court is directed to close the case.”

Flaherty v. Dixon
1:22-cv-02642 · 2024-03-22
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Moot / procedural

“For the foregoing reasons, Defendants' motion to dismiss is DENIED as moot. The Clerk of Court is respectfully directed to terminate ECF No. 147 and remand this case to the Supreme Court of New York, County of New York, and to close this case.”

Zurich American Insurance Company v. Scottsdale Insurance Company
1:22-cv-00364 · 2024-03-15
Summary judgment (defendant) Denied

“For the reasons set forth herein, Scottsdale's motion for summary judgment is DENIED and Zurich's motion for summary judgment is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part.”

Summary judgment (plaintiff) Granted in part

“Scottsdale's motion for summary judgment is DENIED and Zurich's motion for summary judgment is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part. Declaratory judgment is entered in favor of Zurich with respect to whether LM and 412 qualify as additional insureds and whether the Wrap-Up Exclusion applies.”

LifeSci Capital LLC v. Revelation Biosciences, Inc.
1:22-cv-01411 · 2024-08-01
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Granted

“For the reasons stated above, Judge Aaron's Report and Recommendation is ADOPTED in its entirety. Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment is GRANTED and Defendant's motion to amend is DENIED. The Clerk of Court is directed to enter judgment in favor of Plaintiff”

Motion for leave to amend (defendant) Denied

“Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment is GRANTED and Defendant's motion to amend is DENIED.”

Mave Hotel Investors LLC v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London
1:21-cv-08743 · 2024-12-17
Objection to magistrate ruling (third_party) Granted

“For the foregoing reasons, USFA's discovery objections to Judge Cott's August 3, 2022 is sustained and Judge Cott's order, ECF No. 65, is set aside. USFA is ordered to compensate USFA at a rate of $395 per hour for all time spent preparing for and providing testimony in this matter.”

Mave Hotel Investors LLC v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London
1:21-cv-08743 · 2025-01-22
Motion for reconsideration (plaintiff) Denied

“As such, and for the reasons set forth in the Order, the Motion for Reconsideration is DENIED. The Clerk of Court is directed to terminate ECF No. 258.”

Lin v. Grand Sichuan 74 St, Inc.
1:15-cv-02950 · 2025-05-05
Renewed judgment as a matter of law (defendant) Denied

“Defendants’ motion for judgment notwithstanding the jury’s verdict is DENIED.”

Motion for attorney fees (plaintiff) Granted in part

“With a total reduction of 75%, Plaintiffs are awarded $43,247.34 in attorney’s fees and $4,033.10 in costs.”

Motion for attorney fees (defendant) Denied

“Defendants’ application for fees is denied.”

Rijo Avila v. Genalo
7:26-cv-03471 · 2026-05-18
Habeas petition (petitioner) Denied

“Court DENIES Petitioner’s Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus.”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

  • The sampled docket is heavily reassigned, with cases filed from 2015 through 2021 transferred to Clarke in 2023.
  • It includes wage-and-hour, prisoner-conditions, securities and commodities enforcement, insurance coverage, copyright, trademark, personal-injury, and civil-rights cases.
  • Many inherited cases settled in 2024 and 2025.
  • In Colson v. Mingo, Clarke carried the case from a partly denied summary-judgment motion through a full jury trial.

Draft for Judge Clarke with the record in hand

Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Clarke, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.

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