Jeffrey P. Norman
How Judge Norman rules, drawn from 32 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Norman
Jeffrey P. Norman has served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of Texas since April 2018. He previously served on the Western District of Louisiana bankruptcy court from 2014 to 2018.
Judge Norman's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Norman, as published on the court's website (checked October 10, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
Key rules
Contacting chambers
Do not send letters or telephone calls to Judge Norman or his law clerks.
“Letters and telephone calls to Judge Norman and his law clerks are prohibited.”
Filing
File a proposed order with every motion, application, objection, and response.
“Each motion, application, objection, and response filed with the court must be accompanied by a proposed order pursuant to BLR 9013-1(h).”
Motions
Do not self-calendar an emergency motion; the court sets its hearing.
“All emergency motions will be set for hearing by the Court pursuant to BLR 9013-1(i). Emergency motions may not be self-calendared.”
Conferences
Do not self-calendar adversary motions; the court sets their hearings.
“Adversary motions should not be self-calendared and will always be set by the Court.”
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 10, 2026).
How Judge Norman decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
A proof-of-claim objector needed evidence with probative force sufficient to rebut the filed claim before the burden shifted.
“the burden of proof then shifts to the objecting party to produce ‘evidence at least equal in probative force to that offered by the proof of claim’”
The court treated continued efforts to market and protect an unfinished business as qualifying activities for Subchapter V.
“the term ‘activities’ provides a broader definition”
Procedural preferences
The reviewed student-loan decision treated efforts to negotiate or use an income-contingent repayment plan as relevant to good faith under the undue-hardship test.
“he has made no attempts to participate in an income contingent repayment plan or renegotiate payment terms”
A party seeking a discovery rule extension needed to plead it before the court would decide whether it affected limitations.
“in the absence of pleading the Discovery Rule, it need not make this determination”
Cautions
Suspicious circumstances surrounding an asset transfer did not establish actual fraudulent intent when the full record supported an honest explanation.
“the Court does not believe that the transfer of Kirby was made in an attempt to defraud his creditors.”
A successful defense to a dischargeability claim did not support a fee award when the underlying debt was a business loan.
“the debt was a business loan, not a consumer debt”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“judgment is granted in favor of the plaintiff”
“judgment is granted in favor of the plaintiff”
“IT IS ORDERED that the joint credit card debt with USAA that was assigned to the plaintiff in the divorce decree is dischargeable should the plaintiff make all required payments under a confirmed Chapter 13 plan and receive a discharge pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 1328(a). IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the following debts or obligations are non- dischargeable in this or any other subsequent bankruptcy:”
“Counsel for the defendant has made a request for attorney’s fees. The Court declines to grant that request”
“claim objections to Proof of Claim Nos. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 16 in the jointly administered case are sustained, and these claims are disallowed.”
“The claim objections to Claim No. 17 in the jointly administered case, Claim No. 10 in Shadywood, and claim no. 7 in Looscan are overruled, and those claims are allowed.”
“Corporation are not dischargeable.”
“The Court will grant debtor a discharge. The relief requested by Cannella is in all things denied.”
“Other requests for damages by Eassa are denied, either (1) as the plaintiff failed in his burden of proof9 or (2) or as damages related to Eassa’s assumed risk in his online auction purchase as to not only the property’s condition but also the risk of needing to evict its tenant-at- sufferance10 or (3) under the American Rule11 for payment of legal expense. It is therefore ORDERED that Hesham Eassa is granted a non-dischargeable judgment in the amount of $8,100.00 against Michael James Olario pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(6) on the grounds set for the herein.”
“are overruled for lack of standing.”
“the debt owed by Carr to PNC Bank, N.A. is nondischargeable.”
“the Court therefore issues a take nothing judgment.”
“complaint of the plaintiff Ruben Ernesto Vasquez is in all things denied.”
“request of the defendant Fabian Mascareno for an award of attorney’s fees for defense of the adversary proceeding is also denied.”
“Motion for Award of Attorneys’ Fees in Favor of Norma Hunt is approved in part and denied in part”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
All ten sampled matters were terminated. Only one routine fee-agreement request had a paired outcome, so no merits-rate or duration estimate is reported.
Draft for Judge Norman with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Norman, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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