Sarala V. Nagala

United States District Judge for the District of Connecticut

Staff Information

Adam Kuegler	Law Clerk	(860) 240-3873
Joshua Marks	Law Clerk	(860) 240-3873
Carolyn Rennie	Law Clerk	(860) 240-3873
Michael Bozek	Courtroom Deputy	(860) 240-3213
Denae Hovland	Court Reporter	(860) 509-8741

Law Clerk Hiring

Judge Nagala accepts law clerk applications through OSCAR.

Law Student Intern Hiring

Judge Nagala accepts academic year and summer law student interns. Interested applicants may send a cover letter, résumé, writing sample (no longer than 15 pages), transcript, and a list of three references to svn_chambers@ctd.uscourts.gov. University of Connecticut School of Law applicants should apply through the school’s Center for Career Development. Judge Nagala begins considering spring academic term intern applications in mid-October of the previous year and fall academic term and summer intern applications in mid-February of the same year.

ABRAHAM RIBICOFF FEDERAL BUILDING
United States Courthouse
450 Main Street - Suite 108
Hartford, Connecticut 06103
Location: Courtroom 1

Chamber's Telephone	(860) 240-3873
Chamber's Email Address	svn_chambers@ctd.uscourts.gov
Clerk's Office Telephone	(860) 240-3200

Judge Tabs

Pretrial Preferences

Pretrial Preferences:

Rule 26(f) Report and Length of Discovery Period

Judge Nagala considers the filing of Rule 26(f) Reports to be critical to the efficient administration of litigation. If a Rule 26(f) Report has not been filed within the time required by the rules, a notice shall be generated by her Courtroom Deputy for failure to comply.

The Rule 26(f) Report should provide the Court with a meaningful overview of the case and should serve as a vehicle for parties to consider: the factual and legal nature and basis for the claims and defenses asserted or to be asserted; the possibilities of settlement; and the desired discovery. Judge Nagala independently determines whether a scheduling conference with the Court is necessary, but she will take into account whether the parties have requested a scheduling conference in their Rule 26(f) Report.

Provided counsel are reasonable and efficient in the selection of deadlines for the completion of discovery and the filing of dispositive motions, the Rule 26(f) Report will usually serve as the basis for the initial scheduling order in the case. Generally, Judge Nagala prefers that the parties propose a schedule that will allow for the close of all discovery between six to nine months from the date of the filing of the Rule 26(f) Report. If the parties believe that more than nine months is required to complete discovery, then they should explain why additional time is needed. Absent an explanation from the parties why more than nine months is needed, Judge Nagala may enter an order to complete discovery at the end of nine months even if the parties have requested additional time. Once a scheduling order is entered, Judge Nagala expects parties to follow the schedule and will modify it only upon a showing of good cause.

Rule 26(f) Reports must include actual deadline dates, even if such deadlines are tied to earlier events in a case.

Motions for Extension of Time

Judge Nagala requires that any motions for extension of time be filed strictly in accordance with D. Conn. Local Rule 7(b), which requires that any motion be filed at least three business days in advance of the due date; that it reflect the opposing party’s position on the motion; that it indicate the number of motions for extension of time the movant has previously filed with respect to the same time limitation; and that it establish particularized good cause for the extension request. Motions for extension of time that do not comply with D. Conn. Local Rule 7(b) may be denied.

Discovery

Judge Nagala may decide discovery disputes herself or may refer them to a U.S. Magistrate Judge.

Even after a discovery dispute has been briefed, Judge Nagala expects the parties to continue to attempt to resolve the dispute themselves prior to Court intervention.

Chambers Courtesy Copies for Civil Case Filings By Counsel

Unless otherwise ordered, within three business days after a document is filed electronically by counsel in a civil matter, counsel must provide chambers with two paper copies of the following e-filed documents, including all exhibits and attachments:

Applications for temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions or prejudgment remedies, including all memoranda of law and all exhibits;
Dispositive motions, memoranda in support, briefs in opposition, and replies;
Proposed voir dire and jury instructions;
Joint Trial Memoranda;
Trial briefs, including proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law and all exhibits;
Any other filing that exceeds 25 pages; and
Any filing with significant exhibits in color.

Chambers copies may be printed double-sided. All chambers copies should be printed from the docket and should bear the ECF header of the Court’s electronic filing system. All chambers copies must be properly ordered and tabbed. Any chambers copy that cannot be securely stapled must be placed in a three-ring binder.

Chambers copies of brief, routine procedural motions should not be provided to chambers unless requested.

Letter Briefs and Sur-reply Briefs

Judge Nagala does not allow letter briefs or sur-reply briefs. In lieu of filing a letter brief, a party should file a formal motion. If a lawyer wants to call the Court’s attention to new authority, the lawyer should file a notice of supplemental authority on the docket.

Oral Arguments on Motions

Judge Nagala believes in the value of oral argument and usually schedules oral argument on dispositive motions. In deciding whether to hold oral argument, Judge Nagala gives strong consideration to whether the parties have requested argument. If Judge Nagala concludes that oral argument would not be helpful, then she may rule on a dispositive motion without oral argument.

Junior members of legal teams representing clients are invited to argue motions they have helped prepare. Opportunities to train young attorneys in oral advocacy are rare. Where junior lawyers are familiar with the matter under consideration, but have little experience arguing before a court, Judge Nagala believes that they should be encouraged to speak. To facilitate this practice, Judge Nagala is amenable to permitting a second, senior lawyer to argue as well for one party (if deemed necessary), if this will create an opportunity for a junior lawyer to participate. The ultimate decisions of who speaks on behalf of the client are for the lawyer in charge of the case, not the Court.

Oral and Written Rulings

Judge Nagala ordinarily decides dispositive motions by means of a written ruling. Under some circumstances, however, Judge Nagala may issue an oral ruling from the bench following an oral argument on a motion. A copy of any oral ruling may be obtained by the parties from the court reporter.

Settlement Conferences

Judge Nagala encourages the parties to discuss settlement as soon as possible. Nearly all civil cases settle, and, at some point in this case, the Court will refer the parties to a U.S. Magistrate Judge to explore the potential for settlement. The sooner the parties look seriously at the possibility for settlement, the less expensive the litigation will be for the parties. The Court understands that sometimes it is necessary to conduct some discovery before the parties can engage in productive mediation. If this is such a case, the Court encourages the parties to discuss exchanging limited discovery before engaging in a formal settlement conference. But the parties may begin settlement discussions at any time, on their own, through a private mediator, or with the assistance of a U.S. Magistrate Judge.

The parties are advised that the Magistrate Judges may not be able to conduct settlement discussions on short notice. Accordingly, counsel should seek a referral for settlement discussions at the earliest possible date. To do so, counsel for any party may file a brief motion for a referral to a Magistrate Judge, representing that counsel for all parties have conferred and agree that such a referral would be appropriate.

Trial Preferences

Trial Preferences:

Joint Trial Memorandum Instructions

Jury Selection

Judge Nagala will explain her method of jury selection at the Final Pre-Trial Conference. Jury selection ordinarily lasts between a half-day and full day depending on the type and number of cases for which juries are being selected. Because much of jury selection takes place with counsel standing at side bar, counsel are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes. Depending on the progression of jury selection, Judge Nagala may not take a full lunch hour recess.

Hours of Day for Trial

Judge Nagala’s typical trial day lasts from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with a forty-five-minute lunch break and fifteen-minute breaks in the morning and afternoon. Counsel should report at 9:00 a.m. and also be prepared to stay after the trial day is complete as necessary to deal with objections and procedural matters.

Days of Week for Trial

Judge Nagala ordinarily conducts trial four or five days a week.

Opening Statements

For civil cases, Judge Nagala allows short opening statements for each side. For criminal jury cases, any party wishing to give an opening statement may file a motion for permission to do so.

Closing Arguments

Judge Nagala generally allows closing arguments of up to one hour per side, unless the needs of the case require a shorter or longer time period.

Marking and Moving Exhibits into Evidence

Judge Nagala encourages counsel to agree in advance of trial which exhibits will be admissible without necessity to lay a foundation at trial and that may be deemed automatically admitted as full exhibits upon tender of each exhibit to a witness at trial.

Production of Exhibits to the Court

Judge Nagala’s Joint Trial Memorandum provides instructions about provision of exhibits to the Court. Further questions can be answered by the Courtroom Deputy.

Procedural Motions and Arguments

Judge Nagala’s Instructions for Joint Trial Memorandum require the parties to file motions in limine at the time the Joint Trial Memorandum is submitted. Because of this, she deals with many of these motions at pretrial conferences or at oral argument before trial. Nonetheless, should additional issues arise at trial, Judge Nagala expects counsel to alert her to potential problem areas in advance whenever possible. She hears argument on such matters before the commencement of the trial day or during breaks.

Evidentiary Objections During Jury Trial

When in the presence of the jury, a party must state the basis for any objections in as few words as possible (e.g., “Objection, hearsay” or “Objection, foundation”) and without argument or further elaboration unless Judge Nagala requests more detail. If counsel requests, Judge Nagala will explain the basis for his ruling on an objection at the next break and outside the presence of the jury.

Jury Instructions and Charge

Judge Nagala's Instructions for Joint Trial Memorandum require the parties to submit proposed jury instructions at the time the Joint Trial Memorandum is submitted. After the parties meet and confer to narrow the range of disputes and submit a list of the disputed instructions, Judge Nagala will address the disputes. She will prepare a draft of the instructions, provides it to the parties during the trial, and hold a charge conference a day or two before giving the charge.

Post-Verdict Communications with Jurors

Judge Nagala does not permit lawyers to communicate with jurors, but she sometimes speaks with jurors after the trial is over.

Technology

The parties should familiarize themselves with and test-run in advance of trial the courtroom’s technology system for exhibits. It is usually the case that all exhibits except physical objects are shown to the Court and/or the jury during trial through the Court’s technology rather than in paper form. Counsel are encouraged to contact the Courtroom Deputy to set up a pre-trial run through of the technology, or for any other technical assistance.

Counsel intending to use their own laptops for presentation of evidence or other materials should advise the Courtroom Deputy ahead of time. They should also be advised that the courtroom has only HDMI (not mini-HDMI) and VGA video input cables. If a computer cannot accept either of these cables, counsel will need to supply their own cable adaptor.

Criminal Cases

Criminal Cases:

Motions Relating to Detention, Bond, or Conditions of Release

Judge Nagala typically refers motions for bond or motions concerning conditions of release to the Magistrate Judge who conducted the original detention hearing, if one was previously held per district policy. Counsel or a probation officer who files any request or motion related to pre-trial release shall ensure that a copy of the submission is provided to the appropriate Magistrate Judge by email to the Magistrate Judge’s Courtroom Deputy. Failure to provide notice may result in substantial delays in the resolution of any pretrial issues.

Early Status Conference

Within 21 days of a defendant’s arraignment, Judge Nagala will schedule a status conference. At the status conference, the parties should be prepared to discuss the needs of the case, including the scope of discovery and complexity of the matter, and to propose realistic and firm dates for the filing of any pre-trial motions and for trial.

Guilty Pleas

Judge Nagala generally does not refer plea hearings to a Magistrate Judge.

Sentencing

Judge Nagala sets a pre-sentencing briefing schedule at the same time a sentencing is scheduled. Absent a scheduling order to the contrary, any sentencing memoranda should be filed by the defense at least 14 days before sentencing, by the government at least 7 days before sentencing, and any reply by the defense to the government’s submission at least 3 days before sentencing. Counsel should apprise the Court at the earliest opportunity if there needs to be an evidentiary hearing in connection with sentencing.

Victim Rights

For crimes involving identifiable victims, at proceedings identified in 18 U.S.C. § 3771, Judge Nagala will inquire of the Government whether any victims have been notified of the proceeding; whether any victims wish to be heard; and/or whether any victims have concerns or wishes that have been relayed to the Government for conveyance to the Court.

United States District Court

District of Connecticut

Honorable Michael P. Shea, Chief Judge
Dinah Milton Kinney, Clerk of Court

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