Judge Nicholas Straley
Individual Rules, Standing Orders & Policies
- Rules last changed:
Limits & Logistics
Courtesy Copies
Deposition Designations
Court-wide- As Directed in Pretrial Order
Filings >= 500 pages
Court-wide- Hand Delivery
Communication
Chambers
Phone
Court-wideChambers
Document Format Requirements3 rules
Proposed orders in Word format are required as well.
- File type
- Word
- Proposed order
Attachments or exhibits exceeding 25 pages must be numbered consecutively (without restarting) on the bottom center or right-hand corner of each page.
- More than 25 pages
Court's wording
“Attachments or exhibits to any filed document, in excess of 25 pages, including motions, oppositions, replies, briefs, declarations, and affidavits, whether in paper or electronic form, shall be numbered consecutively on the bottom center or right-hand corner of each document to aid the court and the parties in navigating through the document. The number shall not restart for each attachment but shall run consecutively through all the attachments to the document.
Please make sure Judge Straley’s name and the case information is clearly marked.
Formatting
- •Judge Straley's name and the case information must be clearly marked
Document Filing Requirements17 rules
The moving party shall provide a proposed order that includes the required findings.
- Document
- Motion to seal
Must include
- •Proposed order
All motions, oppositions, replies, and briefs shall cite to these page numbers. A party may include other citation information, such as exhibit numbers, corresponding exhibit pages or paragraph numbers, in addition to the consecutive page cite.
If a party would like to request oral argument, the motion should be noted pursuant to the applicable court rules, simply noting in the upper right-hand corner of the working papers “Oral Argument Requested.”
- Document
- Working papers
Should include
- •Oral Argument Requested
A certification by counsel that the conference requirements of these rules have been met is required, and should set out with particularity the nature, extent, and time of the conference.
Must include
- •Certificate of conference
Submission of the following information is required by Judge Straley, in every case.
If ADR with a neutral third party WAS NOT accomplished, you must provide a detailed explanation and identify what arrangements have been made to complete ADR before trial. Counsel/party(ies) may be sanctioned for failure to comply with this requirement.
In addition to providing the certification, ordinarily, Judge Straley will expect that the moving party provide a copy of all correspondence between the parties relevant to the motion as part of the moving party’s initial filing.
In preparation for trial, the parties should submit a joint confirmation of trial readiness form and comply with the case schedule provided by the Clerk's Office and the pretrial order.
The moving party should also include an explanation of all the efforts that the moving party has undertaken to seek compliance with a subpoena before filing the motion for contempt.
Briefing and proposed orders should fully and clearly include the title of the documents in question.
Judge Straley will also expect copies of all such correspondence from a party moving for an order of contempt pursuant to CR 45(g).
Witness examination time estimates must be given in 15 minute increments, based on a typical trial day of five hours of trial time.
Court's wording
For estimates, please use 15 minute increments. Note that a typical trial day is 9:00 am to noon, 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm. Both morning and afternoon sessions have a 15 minute break. This results in five (5) hours of trial every day.
If there are additional parties, each party should create and complete the required information for that party’s witnesses.
You may use this form, or create one of your own, as long as it includes the requested information.
If parties are unable to confirm jointly each party is required to file a separate confirmation.
If any party is not represented by counsel, state that party’s name, current mailing address, and telephone number.
If counsel has another trial scheduled at the same time, identify name, cause number, venue of case, and dates of trial.
Filing & Service rules
Electronic Filing Rules
Counsel should review LGR 30, which requires e-filing of documents and requires attorneys to “promptly register to accept e-service via the Clerk’s e-filing application” unless a waiver is obtained.
Counsel should review LGR 30, which requires e-filing of documents and requires attorneys to “promptly register to accept e-service via the Clerk’s e-filing application” unless a waiver is obtained.
Page 1 | Electronic Filing and Service by Attorneys – LGR 30
When ordered, parties must electronically upload all trial exhibits via Case Center, which is used for trial when required by a pretrial conference order.
If ordered, parties must upload all exhibits into Case Center no later than five court days before the scheduled trial date. Case Center is a program that allows exhibits to be electronically transferred, viewed, and filed with the Court for purposes of hearings and trial.
Page 1 | Trial exhibits
Working copies may not be submitted by email unless the Court has given prior authorization.
The Court does not accept working copies via email, absent prior authorization.
Page 1 | Non-Dispositive Motions – KCLCR 7(b)
The estimate of witness examinations must not be filed with the clerk's office; instead, a copy must be forwarded to the bailiff via email.
DO NOT FILE THIS DOCUMENT WITH THE CLERK’S OFFICE. Please forward a copy to the bailiff via email.
Page 1 | Estimate of Witness Examinations
Department 4 is paperless and prefers that working copies be submitted via eWorking Copies.
Department 4 is a paperless Court and prefers working copies via eWorking Copies.
Page 1 | Non-Dispositive Motions – KCLCR 7(b)
Self-represented parties may optionally use the e-filing and e-service services.
Unrepresented parties have the option of utilizing these services.
Page 1 | Electronic Filing and Service by Attorneys – LGR 30
Filing Timing and Cure Windows
In every case, the parties must provide the Court a Witness Examination Estimate sheet no later than 5 days before the pretrial conference.
Judge Straley also requires the parties in every case to provide the Court with a Witness Examination Estimate sheet no later than 5 days before the pretrial conference.
Page 1 | Trial Preparation
Exhibits must be uploaded into Case Center no later than five court days before the scheduled trial date when ordered.
If ordered, parties must upload all exhibits into Case Center no later than five court days before the scheduled trial date.
Page 1 | Trial exhibits
Sealing & Redaction Procedures
Unredacted materials (hardcopy) should be sent to the Court via the Judges mailroom (516 3rd Ave, Rm C-203 Seattle, WA 98104). We do not accept unredacted materials over email.
Unredacted materials (hardcopy) should be sent to the Court via the Judges mailroom (516 3rd Ave, Rm C-203 Seattle, WA 98104). We do not accept unredacted materials over email.
Page 1 | Motions to seal
Motions to seal must comply with GR 15, LGR 15, and controlling caselaw; party agreement alone cannot justify sealing or redaction.
Motions to seal must comply with GR 15, LGR 15 and controlling caselaw. The agreement of the parties alone is not a sufficient basis for the sealing or redaction of court records.
Page 1 | Motions to seal
Pre-Motion Conference Requirements
Before motions to compel discovery or for contempt, counsel must hold a meet-and-confer conference in person or by telephone — email is not a substitute.
Please pay careful attention to the “meet and confer” requirements of LCR 37(e) and CR 26(i). The conference of counsel must be held in person or by telephone. Email is not a substitute for a dialogue on these issues.
Page 1 | Motion for Order Compelling Discovery – CR 37, KCLCR 37 – or for an Order of Contempt – CR 45(g)
Parties must confer with opposing counsel to confirm date availability before scheduling any hearing.
Judge Straley requires that you check with opposing counsel before scheduling any hearing to make sure that the date works for all counsel.
Page 1 | Dispositive Motions
Counsel must confer with each other no later than 5 calendar days before the pretrial conference hearing to determine cross-examination time estimates and prepare the witness examination estimate document.
Counsel are to confer not later than five (5) calendar days prior to the pretrial conference hearing to determine estimations for cross-examination time for each party’s witnesses and prepare this document.
Page 1 | Estimate of Witness Examinations
Chambers Communication Rules
Dispositive motion hearing dates are requested by emailing the bailiff with the case name, cause number, and type of hearing; dispositive motions are heard Friday mornings and slots are limited.
To request a hearing date, please email the bailiff and include the case name, cause number, and type of hearing requested. The bailiff will respond with the court's availability.
Page 1 | Dispositive Motions
Parties must confirm their scheduled hearing date with the bailiff.
Please confirm your hearing date with the bailiff.
Page 1 | Dispositive Motions