Once a "leisurely one man court," the Southern District of New York currently has forty-five United States District Judges and fifteen United States Magistrate Judges presiding over one of the highest civil caseloads in the country. These jurists determine matters ranging from admiralty business, the backbone of the Court’s work in early years, to commercial disputes, claims related to intellectual property, civil rights and Constitutional claims, and matters brought under other federal laws. Judges of the Southern District of New York may sit by designation on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Prior to appearing before the Court, all parties should be familiar with the Individual Practices of the judge who has been assigned to their case.