Sarah Netburn

[Redacted by Ed.] judge who abuses power to reduce cases on her docket. Will threaten to report that a party "lacked authority" if you don't agree to the terms she wants. Do not agree to using her for a mediation or settlement conference if you can possibly avoid it. She has no scruples.

Terrible temperament for a judge. Extremely heavy handed and abuses power to try to force one side into agreements/settlements based on the side she likes. It's one thing to voice an opinion. It's another thing to threaten litigants based on her power as a judge in order to force a result. [Redacted by Ed.]

We had a settlement conference with this judge. She was so determined to settle the case that she threatened to report to the presiding judge and ensure that we would lose all our motions from there on out if we did not accept a term that she wanted. It was a complete abuse of power. I hope this judge never becomes an Article III judge - she does not deserve to wear a robe.

Judge Netburn is the best judge ever. Caring, knowledgeable, fair, very polite, spent hours helping the parties settle a case where a settlement was very hard to reach if not impossible. I can’t say enough of good things about Judge Netburn. Top tier level Judge. It was a true honor to have Judge Netburn on my case.

This is a very good, thoughtful Magistrate Judge. She reads everything, addresses every issue directly, and displays an excellent grasp of the relevant legal principles in the matter. I have not had a lot of civil litigation in SDNY, but I would be quite pleased to have Magistrate Judge Netburn on every case I have there going forward. A good candidate for District Judge.

Very knowledgeable & willing to take the time to convey the aspects of the case. Excellent temperament with a balance of fairness & direction.

Excellent Judge. Extremely smart, practical and has a great judicial temperament. If you get to litigate your case before her, you are very fortunate.

Great temperament. Works hard. Very fair. She is a worthy member of the federal bench.

A real piece of work. In the event you're unlucky enough to get her, it's worth every penny to discontinue and spend the $400 to get someone else. 'Nuff said.

Well prepared and skilled mediator. Pointed out weaknesses, did not belittle strengths, maintained credibility as honest purveyor of unvarnished news - good and bad. Concluded the four hour conference with a confidential proposed settlement number at the lowest end of reasonable (from my client's viewpoint) which both sides accepted the next day.

Truly awful. Handled a "mediation" involving a very frivolous civil lawsuit (labor dispute, I represented the defendant/employer). Totally sided with plaintiff. Insisted on meeting privately with my client. Recommended a number so high it was absurd. Ended up settling the case on our own for a small fraction of that number. She may be a nice person, I don't know, but certainly not even-handed, or even fair, imo.

Avoid mediation at all costs. She will side with those that have personal connections to her or the law firms she thinks are more impressive. She also seals documents to cover up her favoritism and willingness to ignore the law and facts

Very disappointing. She was a court appointed "mediator" in a complicated, acrimonious case. She was way out of her league. Not sure if she understood what was going on. She did very little but communicate each party's settlement offers, with no real attempt to convince either side to give up extreme (and sometimes ridiculous) positions. Both sides agreed there was no point in having a second session. Her numbers are inflated here because she is a very nice person and good on the non-substantive things, e.g., scheduling flexibility and punctuality, but, sadly, that's where it ends.

Did an excellent job of achieving settlement in a case with an erratic plaintiff where multiple efforts had failed before. Was well-versed in the nuances of the case, exhibited the patience of Job, and devoted the better part of a day to resolving the matter. I would definitely use her again for settlement.

Judge Netburn dedicated the better part of her day to our settlement conference. She was flexible in her approach, willing to listen to the parties and their desires, and was effective in bridging the considerable gap which existed.

I participated with her in a civil suit involving trademark infringement and breach of contract; she spent a good four hours helping the parties reach a settlemnent. Excellent mediator.