The Clerk’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana announced on Apr. 9 that a Certificate of Conference must be included with all non-dispositive motions, in accordance with Local Rule 7.4.1.
This requirement is intended to encourage parties to resolve issues without court intervention and to ensure proper communication between involved parties before seeking judicial action.
According to the rule, “Except for any case governed by LR 3.2, prior to filing any non-dispositive motion, the moving party must confer with any interested party and try to resolve the relevant issues, in whole or in part, without court intervention. A certificate discussing the substance of the parties’ conference must be included in the motion. If the interested party is non-responsive, the certificate of conference must state the efforts made by the movant to confer. The Court may impose sanctions for failing to timely communicate with opposing counsel.” This language outlines both procedural expectations and potential consequences for failure to comply.
The Clerk’s Office said this verification process will help ensure compliance with local rules and may reduce unnecessary delays caused by incomplete filings or lack of communication among parties.
More information about avoiding Notices of Deficiencies is available through a Deficiency Checklist provided on their website: https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/deficiency-checklist.
