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What are your forum shopping tips and hard lessons?
Judge shopping is definitely not a good idea.
![MINUTE entry before the Honorable Steven C. Seeger: Status hearing held on January 18, 2023. This Court expressed, in direct terms, its concerns with the recent conduct of Plaintiff's counsel. On October 13, 2022, Plaintiff filed a complaint against 218 defendants. The case was then assigned to this Court. And then, on October 24, 2022, Plaintiff abruptly filed an amended complaint and dropped 213 of the 218 defendants. And then, Plaintiff refiled the complaint against those 213 defendants by filing a brand new case. That case was later assigned to Judge Guzman. Plaintiff's counsel engaged in that judicial rug-pulling sub silentio, without telling this Court or Judge Guzman what they were doing. The civil cover sheet in that new matter did not reveal that the case was related to the matter at hand. After spotting the issue, this Court ordered Plaintiff's counsel to explain themselves. (Dckt. No. [19]) Plaintiff's counsel later explained that they do not like this Court's bond requirements. (Dckt. No. [20]) So they decided to refile the case and get another judge. This should go without saying, but the Court offers the following instruction. The Federal Rules and the U.S. Code allow a certain amount of forum shopping. But they do not allow judge shopping. The Clerk's Office assigns judges on a random basis, for good reason. Parties can pick their lawyers, and parties can pick their cases. But parties cannot pick their judges.](https://media.mas.to/media_attachments/files/109/722/763/500/900/497/original/167b3901a19bee0a.png "MINUTE entry before the Honorable Steven C. Seeger: Status hearing held on January 18, 2023. This Court expressed, in direct terms, its concerns with the recent conduct of Plaintiff's counsel. On October 13, 2022, Plaintiff filed a complaint against 218 defendants. The case was then assigned to this Court. And then, on October 24, 2022, Plaintiff abruptly filed an amended complaint and dropped 213 of the 218 defendants. And then, Plaintiff refiled the complaint against those 213 defendants by filing a brand new case. That case was later assigned to Judge Guzman. Plaintiff's counsel engaged in that judicial rug-pulling sub silentio, without telling this Court or Judge Guzman what they were doing. The civil cover sheet in that new matter did not reveal that the case was related to the matter at hand. After spotting the issue, this Court ordered Plaintiff's counsel to explain themselves. (Dckt. No. [19]) Plaintiff's counsel later explained that they do not like this Court's bond requirements. (Dckt. No. [20]) So they decided to refile the case and get another judge. This should go without saying, but the Court offers the following instruction. The Federal Rules and the U.S. Code allow a certain amount of forum shopping. But they do not allow judge shopping. The Clerk's Office assigns judges on a random basis, for good reason. Parties can pick their lawyers, and parties can pick their cases. But parties cannot pick their judges.")
Judge Seeger issued an order after a hearing to evaluate Plaintiff's judge shopping in
Blue Sphere v. Schedule A, No. 22 cv 5599 (NDIL Dkt. 26)
and it's as good as we've imagined.
"Plaintiff's counsel engaged in that judicial rug-pulling sub silentio..." JUDICIAL RUG PULL
@Michaels Pick your division before you file.