John D. Love
How Judge Love rules, drawn from 27 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Love
John D. Love has served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Texas since January 2006. He graduated from Texas A&M University and St. Mary's University School of Law. Before joining the bench, he practiced civil trial law and served as chief staff attorney to U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis.
Judge Love's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Love, as published on the court's website (checked October 9, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
- Standing Order Regarding Letter Brief and Briefing Procedures For Early Markman Hearing/Summary Judgment Of Noninfringement ↗
- Standing Order on Sealing Documents and Information ↗
- Standing Order on Disclosure and Certification Requirements for Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence ↗
- Exemption Order Regarding Cellular Telephones For Jurors ↗
- Revised Standing Order Regarding Motions to Modify/Amend Docket Control Orders ↗
- Standing Order Regarding Motions for Extensions of Time to Answer ↗
- Standing Order Regarding Social Security Transcripts ↗
- Exemption Order re Paper Copies ↗
- Standing Order for Social Security Actions Under 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) ↗
- Protective Order ↗
- Markman Track B Schedule ↗
- Track B Initial Patent Case Management Order ↗
- E-Discovery Order ↗
- Phased Limits Order ↗
- Docket Control Order ↗
- Discovery Order ↗
- Protective Order ↗
- Bench Trial Docket Control Order ↗
- Discovery Order ↗
- Docket Control Order ↗
- E-Discovery Order ↗
- Exhibit List ↗
- Witness List ↗
- Joint Pretrial Order ↗
Key rules
Filing
If generative AI helped prepare a filing, include a certificate identifying the tool, its use, and verification of its output.
“Certificate of Generative Artificial Intelligence Usage” that discloses: (1) ‘generative artificial intelligence’2 was used (or not used); (2) the specific tool the party used; (3) how the party used the tool in preparing the relevant document; and (4) that the party certifies they have checked the accuracy of any portion of the document drafted or assisted by the tool, including all factual and procedural background, citations, and legal authority.”
Filing
For an answer extension before Love, first use the clerk application procedure in Local Rule CV-12.
“Defendants in every case shall first use the procedure set in place by Local Rule CV-12 regarding filing an Application for Extension of Time to Answer with the Clerk’s office rather than filing a Motion for Extension of Time:”
Motions
A defendant may submit an early Markman request covering at most three potentially dispositive claim terms.
“the Court will permit Defendant to submit, if desired, a request to construe no more than three ‘case dispositive’ claim terms in a letter brief.”
Motions
File an early Markman letter brief no later than 145 days before the Markman hearing.
“The letter brief is due no later than 145 days before the Markman hearing”
Motions
When seeking to modify a docket control order before Love, file a complete proposed replacement with changed and unchanged deadlines.
“parties shall re-file a complete Proposed Docket Control Order in every instance where a motion to modify / amend a Docket Control Order is to be considered by the Court. The amended Docket Control Order shall incorporate the modified deadlines in addition to the deadlines that remain unchanged.”
Sealing
A sealed filing must include a certificate of service identifying the seal motion or the specific order authorizing sealing.
“the sealed filing must include a certificate of service by counsel that clearly identifies either (1) a corresponding motion to file under seal; or, (2) if no motion to seal has been filed, the specific order of the Court that provides the authorization to file under seal.”
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 9, 2026).
How Judge Love decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
In Reece v. Director, TDCJ-CID, Magistrate Judge Love recommended dismissing the habeas petition as moot after Reece received release to mandatory supervision.
“For the foregoing reasons, the court recommends that Petitioner’s federal habeas petition concerning his 2021 denial of release to mandatory supervision be dismissed as moot.”
In Phillips v. City of Rusk, Love granted a joint motion to extend the mediation deadline one day after it was filed.
“ORDER granting 14 Motion to Extend Deadline. The mediation deadline is extended until October 15, 2023.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Accordingly, judicial economy warrants that the Defendants' Motions to Transfer to the Southern District of New York be DENIED.”
“Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment of Invalidity for Indefiniteness and Lack of Written Description is DENIED.”
“the above-entitled and numbered civil action was directly assigned to United States Magistrate Judge John D. Love, who subsequently issued a Report and Recommendation that Plaintiff's action be dismissed without prejudice for failure to prosecute and failure to obey an order. ... IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the above-entitled and numbered cause of action is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.”
“On April 29, 2020, Judge Love issued a Report, (Dkt. #18), recommending that Movant's section 2255 motion be denied, the civil case be dismissed, with prejudice, and that Movant be denied a certificate of appealability sua sponte. ... ORDERED that Movant's motion to vacate, set aside, or correct his federal sentence pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 2255 is DENIED and the above-styled civil action is DISMISSED, with prejudice.”
“ORDERED that the Defendant Officer Blair's motion to dismiss (docket no. 37) is GRANTED and the claims against Officer Blair are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.”
“On January 11, 2021, Judge Love issued a Report recommending that the Court dismiss the motion for failure to comply with a Court order. ... ORDERED that Thompson's motion to vacate or correct his federal sentence is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.”
“ORDERED that Defendants' motion to dismiss, (Docket No. 24), is GRANTED, in part, and DENIED in part. Plaintiff's claims against Defendants Kempt and Meador are DISMISSED, with prejudice, for the failure to state a claim ... Finally, Plaintiff's claims against Defendant Thompson shall proceed before the Court.”
“ADOPTS the Report and Recommendation of the Magistrate Judge (Docket No. 5) as the opinion of the District Court. Petitioner's petition for habeas corpus is hereby DISMISSED with prejudice as frivolous.”
“For the foregoing reasons, the court recommends that Petitioner’s federal habeas petition concerning his 2021 denial of release to mandatory supervision be dismissed as moot.”
“the Court DENIES Teradata's request to transfer this case to the Central District of California, but GRANTS Teradata's alternative request to transfer this case to the Northern District of California.”
“the Court finds that the proper construction of 'data flow control protocol,' 'network flow control protocol' and 'network data flow control protocol' is 'rules or conventions for managing the flow of data between devices in a network.'”
“Having considered the parties' submissions, the Court GRANTS Defendants' motion. The Court ORDERS Plaintiff to answer Interrogatory No. 5 by December 16, 2009, in accordance with this Order.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Love's directly assigned and consent docket includes prisoner civil-rights and habeas matters, Social Security appeals, civil-forfeiture actions, and civil cases tried by consent. His broader referral work is not represented in that assignment slice. His Tyler Division work has also included patent claim-construction, expert-evidence, and dispositive motions.
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 | 0 |
| Report | Motions over six months | Cases over three years |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2020 | 0 | 0 |
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 United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, not for Judge Love: 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 | 2,854 | 7.3 months |
| Closed with no court action | 1,222 | 5.3 months |
| Closed before pretrial | 1,581 | 9 months |
| Closed during or after pretrial | 15 | 26 months |
| Closed during trial | 36 | 24.2 months |
| 12 months ending | Cases closed | Median time |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 2,854 | 7.3 months |
| Sep 2024 | 2,345 | 7.5 months |
| Sep 2023 | 2,003 | 8.4 months |
| Sep 2022 | 1,968 | 8.8 months |
| Sep 2021 | 2,122 | 8.1 months |
| Sep 2020 | 1,956 | 8.9 months |
| Sep 2019 | 1,972 | 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 Love with the record in hand
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