Judge Lisette M. Reid

C. Clyde Atkins U.S. Courthouse 301 North Miami Avenue 3rd floor Miami, Florida 33128 Directions

Chambers (305) 523-5780

Odd cases: 305-523-5782
Even cases: 305-523-5786
Courtroom Deputy: Rhiannon Chavez, 305-523-5288, Rhiannon_Chavez@flsd.uscourts.gov
Email for proposed orders, jury instructions and other filings as directed by the Court: reid@flsd.uscourts.gov

Communication

Law clerks may be contacted regarding procedural questions only. Law clerks may not be asked substantive legal questions and they cannot provide advice on how to handle legal questions. When you contact chambers, please have the case number ready so that we may better assist you. Absent a true emergency, please do not contact chambers to ask questions concerning the status of pending matters.

CM/ECF Procedures

With regard to sealed filings, counsel shall comply with the local rules. When filing documents with multiple attachments, counsel shall file such a document with bookmarks within the PDF image. This is especially true in the case of large transcripts of underlying proceedings in habeas cases, social security appeals, and the like. Proposed orders should be submitted by email to reid@flsd.uscourts.gov in Microsoft Word format, subject to being revised.

Discovery Procedures

In cases where the presiding District Judge refers all pretrial discovery to Judge Reid, the Court will issue a standing discovery order with specific discovery procedures for use in the event of a discovery dispute. Written discovery motions are not permitted without leave of Court. Counsel are to confer first and, if Court intervention is necessary, contact Chambers for the setting of a hearing. Personal conferral, in person or by telephone, is required unless the opposing party or counsel refuses to confer, in which case the moving party should advise the Court in the motion of such good faith efforts to confer and the opposing party or counsels refusal. A sample order is attached.

Discovery Procedures Sample Order

General Advice

The parties are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Local Rules of the Southern District of Florida, which are available at: https://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/local-rules-and-procedures. Attorneys must consult and comply with Orders and Court Rules.

Do NOT wait until one month before discovery cutoff before commencing discovery. Lack of diligence does not constitute good cause for extension of discovery cutoff.

In discovery matters, attorneys' failure to communicate usually causes the most problems. Do not certify attempt at conferring with opposing counsel without personally talking with counsel. Emailed requests for conference, with no response, usually are not enough to certify compliance with the Rule.

If you take the time to file motions or brief matters for the Court, make sure you reasonably research the issues and cite the relevant cases.

Most importantly be courteous to each other.

Finally, the Court is mindful that newer attorneys generally have less speaking opportunities in court than their more experienced colleagues. Accordingly, the Court strongly encourages the participation of attorneys with five years or less experience in all court proceedings, such as discovery hearings, especially where the attorney has been significantly involved in the litigation.