Opinion ID: 164869
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Wage Claim

Text: “We review the grant of a motion for summary judgment de novo. ” Mincin -4- v. Vail Holdings, Inc. , 308 F.3d 1105, 1108 (10th Cir. 2002). “Summary judgment is proper only if the evidence, reviewed in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion, demonstrates that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact, and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Save Palisade FruitLand v. Todd , 279 F.3d 1204, 1209 (10th Cir. 2002). In opposing a motion for summary judgment, “[t]he nonmoving party may not . . . rely solely on its pleadings but must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial with regard to those dispositive matters for which it carries the burden of proof.” Mincin , 308 F.3d at 1108.
On her wage claim, Ms. Tucker argues that the Department discriminated against her in late August 1998 by refusing to give her the full promotional wage increase that she believes was due. The District Court rejected this claim, holding that, because Ms. Tucker had not referenced any evidence in the record to show that she engaged in protected conduct before the alleged discrimination took place, she failed to establish a prima facie case under Title VII. On appeal, Ms. Tucker contends that the District Court erred in concluding that she failed to provide such evidence. In support of this contention, she provides (for the first time on appeal) extensive citation to the record to show that she engaged in protected activity before the Department allegedly denied her the -5- proper wage increase. Her effort is too late. Even if this long list of citations establishes a genuine issue of material fact as to whether Ms. Tucker engaged in protected activity prior to the alleged discrimination, her attorney did not provide these citations to the District Court. We refuse to allow him to play catch-up on appeal. Although we find support for this conclusion in many sources, one in particular stands out: Rule 83(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. It provides: A judge may regulate practice in any manner consistent with federal law, rules adopted under 28 U.S.C. §§ 2072 and 2075, and local rules of the district. No sanction or other disadvantage may be imposed for noncompliance with any requirement not in federal law, federal rules, or the local district rules unless the alleged violator has been furnished in the particular case with actual notice of the requirement. Fed. R. Civ. P. 83(b). Pursuant to this rule, a district judge may establish personal “standing orders” regulating practice before his court (and subsequently punish parties for violating those rules), so long as (1) those procedures are consistent with federal law and the Rules of Civil Procedure; and (2) the violating party had “actual notice” of the rule. See generally Myron J. Bromberg & Jonathan M. Korn, Individual Judges’ Practices: An Inadvertent Subversion of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure , 68 S T . J OHN ’ S L. R EV . 1 (1994). Both requirements are satisfied here. First, in his “Practice -6- Standards—Civil,” District Judge Edward W. Nottingham provides that a party opposing summary judgment must specifically reference record material supporting her opposition. See D. Colo. R., Judicial Officers’ Procedures, Judge Nottingham’s Practice Standards—Civil, at p. 11, available at http://www.co.uscourts.gov/judges/ewn_trial_civ.pdf (last visited July 14, 2004). This requirement does not conflict with federal law or any of the Rules of Civil Procedure. Second, in a September 18, 2001, “General Case Management Order,” Judge Nottingham admonished counsel in this case to adhere strictly to these rules, calling special attention to the summary judgment requirements. The September 18 order also notified counsel that they could receive copies of the summary judgment rules from the clerk’s office and from the court’s website. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 83 cmt. to 1995 amendments (noting that a party has sufficient notice of a judge’s rules if the judge enters an “order in a case specifically adopting by reference a judge’s standing order and indicating how copies can be obtained”). Hence, under his standing rules, Judge Nottingham could properly refuse to consider any unsupported allegation. Therefore, the District Court did not err in concluding that Ms. Tucker failed to establish that she engaged in protected activity before her August 1998 wage dispute.