Mark R. Colombell
How Judge Colombell rules, drawn from 3 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Colombell
Mark R. Colombell has served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the Richmond Division of the Eastern District of Virginia since May 2021. Before joining the court, he clerked in the Chesterfield County Circuit Court and practiced civil litigation in Richmond.
Judge Colombell's practices and standing orders
The court's website lists no individual practices or standing orders of Judge Colombell's own (checked October 9, 2026), so the court's local rules and general orders are the place to look (court page ↗).
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 Colombell decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In Burgess’s benefits appeal, Colombell affirmed the agency’s diabetes-related work restrictions because the claimant had not shown that insulin injections and glucose testing required more time off task.
“Plaintiff has similarly failed to identify evidence in the record to meet her burden of showing that her insulin injections and blood glucose testing prevent her from engaging in any substantial gainful activity existing in the national economy.”
Procedural preferences
In Burgess, Colombell held that the administrative law judge did not have to include this claimant’s mild mental limitations in her work-capacity assessment, distinguishing the rule for moderate limitations.
“This Court has routinely declined to extend this requirement to mild limitations. ... the undersigned is inclined to find the same, and concludes that the ALJ was not required to incorporate Plaintiff's mild limitations in the residual functional capacity.”
Cautions
In Washel’s benefits appeal, Colombell affirmed the agency after finding that the claimant had not shown her bladder impairment met the regulatory severity requirement.
“Upon review, the undersigned finds that Plaintiff did not meet her burden of proving that her bladder impairment was a severe impairment pursuant to the requirements in the regulations.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the Court DENIES Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 20), GRANTS Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 25) ... and AFFIRMS the final decision of the Commissioner.”
“the Court DENIES Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 17), GRANTS Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 19), and AFFIRMS the final decision of the Commissioner. The case is now CLOSED.”
“the Court DENIES the Partial Motion to Dismiss as to Plaintiff's claim of gross negligence and GRANTS the Partial Motion to Dismiss as to Plaintiff's claim of willful and wanton negligence. To the extent Plaintiff has asserted a claim for willful and wanton negligence, it is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
No overall nature-of-suit distribution is computed: the record mixes his consent civil docket with criminal-duty matters and cases on which he was only designated rather than presiding. The durations reported are limited to confirmed consent civil cases.
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 |
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 Virginia, not for Judge Colombell: 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 | 3,011 | 5.6 months |
| Closed with no court action | 1,204 | 5 months |
| Closed before pretrial | 1,299 | 4.9 months |
| Closed during or after pretrial | 493 | 8.9 months |
| Closed during trial | 15 | 19.3 months |
| 12 months ending | Cases closed | Median time |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 3,011 | 5.6 months |
| Sep 2024 | 2,613 | 5.3 months |
| Sep 2023 | 2,194 | 6.5 months |
| Sep 2022 | 2,134 | 6.8 months |
| Sep 2021 | 2,152 | 6.5 months |
| Sep 2020 | 1,860 | 6 months |
| Sep 2019 | 2,267 | 5.9 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 Colombell with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Colombell, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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