Meet Judge Juan R. Sánchez, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Juan R. Sánchez is the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He was born in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, and graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, New York. Judge Sánchez received his Bachelor of Arts degree from City College of the City University of New York, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he received the Benjamin R. Jones Award for commitment to humanity and the law.

After a career with Chester County Legal Aid and the Public Defender’s Office of Chester County, Judge Sánchez was elected to the Chester County Court of Common Pleas in 1997, where he served until President George W. Bush nominated him to a seat on the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Judge Sánchez was inducted on July 9, 2004, and became the first Latino Chief Judge of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on August 1, 2018, due to the announced retirement of Lawrence F. Stengel.

Judge Sánchez permits communications with his chambers by telephone, letter, or facsimile regarding scheduling and other non-substantive matters. All other issues, except discovery disputes, must be addressed by motion or other filing. Under no circumstances may any party or counsel communicate ex parte with any chambers personnel concerning substantive matters.

Judge Sánchez relies on counsel’s good faith compliance in all respects with Rule 26(f). The Rule 26(f) meeting shall take place as soon as possible, and should be viewed not as perfunctory but rather as a meaningful and substantive discussion among professionals to formulate the discovery plan required by the Rule. Judge Sánchez reminds counsel the scope of discovery is limited to “any nonprivileged matter that is relevant to any party’s claim or defense and proportional to the needs of the case.”

Counsel should be prepared to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the case and should therefore be conversant in the essential facts and issues involved. Counsel must have full authority to negotiate a settlement of the case or be accompanied by a client or client representative who has such authority. Counsel should be prepared to discuss settlement with Judge Sánchez or his Magistrate Judge immediately following the Rule 16 conference. If necessary, Judge Sánchez will issue a Scheduling Order to govern further proceedings in the case after the conference.

Judge Sánchez is a highly respected and experienced judge who has a strong commitment to justice and the law. He is known for his thoroughness and fairness, and he is dedicated to upholding the rule of law in his courtroom.

Learn More

https://www.paed.uscourts.gov/judges-info/district-court-judges/juan-r-sanchez
Policies and Procedures

This article is intended for informational and biographical purposes only. It is not authorized by any judge and should not be construed as official or legal advice.