Division 1
Phone: (504) 589-7620
500 Poydras Street Room B345 New Orleans, LA 70130
Lisa Wallace, Judicial Assistant, (504) 589-7620
Margot "Marli" Want, Law Clerk, (504) 589-7620
Lanie Bryant, Case Manager, (504) 589-7709
Judge van Meerveld's Chambers can be reached by telephone at (504) 589-7620.
You can also email Chambers at efile-vanmeerveld@laed.uscourts.gov.
Guidelines for Settlement Conferences
It is the duty of counsel for Plaintiff(s) to notify Chambers if the case is continued, settled, or otherwise disposed of prior to the date of the scheduled settlement conference so that the matter may be removed from the Court's docket. Such notification shall be sent to the Chambers' email address.
Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(a)(1): “[A] party may move for an order compelling disclosure or discovery. The motion must include a certification that the movant has in good faith conferred or attempted to confer with the person or party failing to make disclosure or discovery in an effort to obtain it without court action.” The Rule thus requires that the parties make a meaningful and good faith effort to resolve their discovery disputes prior to filing a motion to compel. The Court encourages parties to meet in person or by telephone, as opposed to emailing each other. Often, such a verbal discussion will result in at least a narrowing of the issues for the Court to resolve. For guidance on the contents of a meaningful and thorough conference, see the Supplemental Rule 37 Conference requirements.
In cases where a motion to compel has been filed and the parties' Rule 37 conference appears to have been inadequate, the Court may order the parties to conduct a first or supplemental Rule 37 conference, utilizing the Supplemental Rule 37 Conference requirements linked above.
Judge van Meerveld encourages status conferences because they can result in a faster and less costly resolution of discovery disputes. Of course, she understands that not all matters can be resolved via a status conference and/or that a party may have strategic reasons for filing a motion instead. For example, if briefing a disputed area of law is required or if the parties wish to present the court with evidence, motion practice may make more sense.
If you think your dispute is one that could benefit from a status conference, you may call Judge van Meerveld’s chambers and speak with her law clerk about the dispute. The clerk can assist in determining whether a status conference makes sense under the circumstances, how much time to allow for the conference, and how quickly it needs to be set. Once the conference is set, Judge van Meerveld will typically, though not always, ask each side to submit a brief statement of their position. The parties will be advised of any such requirements. Importantly, just as with a Rule 37 motion, the Court requires that the parties first discuss the dispute with one another via phone/video/in-person to attempt to resolve or at least narrow the issues.
Judge van Meerveld’s chambers has only one clerk, and that position is filled by her career law clerk.
Unpaid externships are offered during the summer months only. Applications are accepted January 1 through February 15. Check with your law school’s career placement office for further information.
