judge console · N.D. Cal.
N.D. Cal. · Judge Beeler · Practice Guide

Hon. Laurel Beeler

All local rules for N.D. Cal., integrated with this judge's published requirements.

Before You File
Ex parte applications
🏛 N.D. Cal. local rule

Permitted only if statute, Federal Rule, local rule, or standing order authorizes; cite authority in motion Civ. L.R. 7-10 ↗

Drafting the Motion
Length limits — motion, opposition, reply
🏛 N.D. Cal. local rule
Motion

25 pages maximum (motion must be in one document not exceeding 25 pages) Civ. L.R. 7-2(b) ↗

Opposition

25 pages maximum Civ. L.R. 7-4(b) ↗

Reply

15 pages maximum Civ. L.R. 7-4(b) ↗

Filing & Scheduling
Briefing schedule & hearing date
🏛 N.D. Cal. local rule
Notice period

35 days after filing (FRCP 6(d) mail-service extension expressly excluded) Civ. L.R. 7-2(a) ↗

Hearing days

Judge's individual law and motion calendar; no district-wide standard hearing day Civ. L.R. 7-2(a) ↗

👤 Judge Beeler — standing order
Hearing days

Motions are heard on Thursdays: civil motions at 9:30 a.m., criminal motions at 10:30 a.m., and pretrial conferences at 1:00 p.m. Hearings are in person.

Chambers / courtesy copies
👤 Judge Beeler — standing order
Details

If filings are voluminous, then the parties must lodge chambers copies that are double-side printed and three-hole punched. They must be the electronically filed copies with the PACER/ECF-generated header (case number, docket number, date, and ECF page number). Exhibits must be tabbed and have a table of contents.

Proposed orders
🏛 N.D. Cal. local rule

PDF attached to motion; Word format emailed to assigned judge's chambers address Civ. L.R. 5-1(f) ↗

👤 Judge Beeler — standing order

PDF briefs and bookmarked exhibits must be emailed to lbpo@cand.uscourts.gov.

The Hearing
Oral argument
🏛 N.D. Cal. local rule

Court may decide without oral argument or by telephone at judge's discretion Civ. L.R. 7-1(b) ↗

👤 Judge Beeler — standing order
Default practice

Hearings are in person. Parties may stipulate to a hearing by videoconference one week before any hearing.

Discovery
Discovery referral procedure
🏛 N.D. Cal. local rule

Magistrate judges authorized for all non-dispositive pretrial matters including discovery Civ. L.R. 72-1 ↗

👤 Judge Beeler — standing order

If parties have a discovery dispute, then counsel must confer by any means to resolve or narrow their dispute. If that process does not resolve the dispute, then lead trial counsel must confer in person if possible or at least by videoconference. Either party may demand a conference with one week's notice. The parties then may raise their dispute in a five-page letter brief (12-point font or greater, reasonable margins, and page breaks between paragraphs).

Know Before You Go
👤 Judge Beeler — deviations that burn people
  • Discovery letter brief must be signed by lead trial counsel attesting to in-person or videoconference meet and confer -- email exchange alone does not satisfy meet and confer.
  • Chambers copies required only for voluminous filings -- but if filing is large, all formatting requirements (double-sided, three-hole punched, ECF header, tabbed exhibits with TOC) apply strictly.
  • Parties may stipulate to videoconference for hearings but must do so at least one week in advance -- no day-of requests.
content assembled from published local rules & standing orders · click any section in the rail for the full treatment