Opinion ID: 795105
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: reply brief

Text: 38 The decision to grant a motion for leave to file a reply brief relies on the interpretation and application of local rules and local practice. As these are matters within the district court's discretion, the district court's decision is reviewed for abuse of discretion. See generally 1 STEVEN ALAN CHILDRESS & MARTHA S. DAVIS, FEDERAL STANDARDS OF REVIEW §§ 4.01, 4.10, 4.11 (3d ed.1999). 39
40 Although the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure do not specifically authorize the filing of reply briefs, they likewise do not prohibit it. See FED. R. CIV. P. 56. The Western District of Tennessee Model Scheduling Order for Routine Cases states that 41 Neither party may file [a] ... reply ... without leave of the court. If a party believes that a reply is necessary, it shall file a motion for leave to file a reply accompanied by a memorandum setting forth the reasons for which a reply is required. 42 J.A. at 43 (W. Dist. of Tenn. Model Sched. Order for Routine Cases at 3). 43 According to the district court's docket sheet, on January 10, 2005, Murray Guard filed a motion for leave to file a reply brief. The docket sheet indicates that Wright never filed an objection to the motion. The district court granted the motion on January 11, 2005 and entered Murray Guard's reply brief on that same date. 9 On January 21, 2005, Wright filed a response to Murray Guard's reply. In his response, Wright addressed the merits of Murray Guard's reply, but did not object to the order granting Murray Guard permission to file the reply brief. 44 Because Wright made no objection below to the district court's decision to allow the reply brief, he forfeited this objection and cannot raise it in the first instance in this court. 10 Even if this panel were to consider the merits of Wright's claim, it would fail. Wright offers no reason why the district court abused its discretion in this ruling other than his faulty assertion that the district court was not empowered to grant this motion. 11 Although the scheduling order requires the filing of a memorandum stating reasons in support of a motion for leave to file a reply brief, the court's order states that it granted Murray Guard's motion [f]or good cause shown. J.A. at 341 (Order Granting Def. Murray Guard Inc.'s Mot. for Leave to File Reply Br. in Supp. of Its Mot. for Summ. J.). This is supported by the circumstances. In its reply brief, Murray Guard raised issues — that Wright's response did not comply with local rules, that Wright's affidavit, which accompanied his response, contradicted his deposition testimony, and that Wright raised a claim of sex discrimination for the first time in his response — that could not have been raised before seeing Wright's response brief. Significantly, we note that Wright himself was permitted to respond via a sur-reply to the now-challenged reply by Murray Guard. In view of all the circumstances, the district court acted well within its discretion.