Jared C. Bennett

Judge Jared C. Bennett: U.S. Magistrate Judge, District of Utah

Judge Overview

Jared C. Bennett is a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Utah, a position he has held since May 2020. Prior to his appointment, Judge Bennett had a long career with the U.S. Department of Justice at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah, beginning in 2005. His roles there included serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Chief of the Civil Division, and from 2017 to 2020, as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney. His practice as a government lawyer focused on civil litigation, including a significant number of natural resources and environmental law cases. He also has experience as an environmental crimes prosecutor. Judge Bennett clerked for Judge Pamela T. Greenwood on the Utah Court of Appeals after graduating Order of the Coif from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law.

Patent Docket

As a magistrate judge since mid-2020, Judge Bennett's patent-specific docket appears to be developing. The public record and patent litigation analytics services do not yet indicate a high volume of patent case assignments compared to more senior judges. His role as a magistrate means he typically handles pretrial matters, including discovery disputes, scheduling, and settlement conferences, unless the parties consent to his jurisdiction for all proceedings. The District of Utah's general practice is for district judges to handle dispositive motions and Markman hearings, which may limit Judge Bennett's exposure to substantive claim construction issues unless a case is directly referred to him by consent. His docket includes intellectual property disputes, such as the recently filed case Rare Breed Triggers Inc et al. v. HK Parts Inc.

Notable Rulings or Trends

While specific patent-related rulings from Judge Bennett are not yet widely published, his decisions in other civil matters demonstrate a detail-oriented approach with a firm grasp of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. In a 2020 discovery dispute, for example, he compelled a plaintiff to correct significant deficiencies in its electronic document production, ordering that the new production be Bates-stamped and indexed to correspond with the original production to comply with FRCP 34. This ruling highlights a focus on procedural integrity and the practical responsibilities of litigants in discovery, a trend likely to carry over into any patent cases he oversees. He also serves as a judicial advisor on the District of Utah's Local Rules Committee.

Local Rules and Procedures

Judge Bennett's chambers' practices and procedures are available on the District of Utah's website. One specific standing order requires parties to email a copy of all proposed orders directly to his chambers in an editable Word format, in addition to filing them on the docket via CM/ECF. The court's website also provides resources authored by the judge regarding discovery, including presentations on "Rule 34 Done Right" and initial disclosures under Rule 26, suggesting a proactive approach to managing pretrial discovery efficiently. Litigants appearing before Judge Bennett can expect an emphasis on compliance with both local and federal rules governing the discovery process.