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N.D. Cal. · Judge Hixson · Practice Guide

Hon. Thomas S. Hixson

Verified 2026-06-26verify at the court's site ↗

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 Hixson — standing order
Hearing days

Law and motion is heard on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. All motions (except criminal duty matters) shall be noticed for any available Thursday.

Chambers / courtesy copies
👤 Judge Hixson — standing order
Details

The parties do not need to submit chambers copies, except when requested by a separate order from the Court.

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 Hixson — standing order

Any proposed order in a case subject to electronic filing shall be emailed in Word format to tshpo@cand.uscourts.gov. This address is to be used only for proposed orders unless otherwise directed by the Court.

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 Hixson — standing order
Default practice

Not specified in standing order.

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 Hixson — standing order

Upon referral from a District Judge or upon the development of an impasse with respect to discovery in a pending case assigned to Judge Hixson, no motions to compel or other motions shall be considered. Instead, the parties must first meet and confer in a good faith effort to resolve their dispute informally. An exchange of written communications does not satisfy the meet and confer requirement.

Know Before You Go
👤 Judge Hixson — deviations that burn people
  • No formal discovery motions permitted -- must use the Discovery Standing Order procedure (joint statement, not a noticed motion).
  • Written communications alone do not satisfy discovery meet and confer -- must include actual conversation by lead counsel.
  • Chambers copies not required unless the Court specifically orders them -- this is an exception to the common N.D. Cal. practice.
  • All exhibits to motions and discovery disputes must be separately e-filed (e.g., Dkt. 31 declaration with Dkt. 31-1, 31-2 for each exhibit) in searchable OCR format.
content assembled from published local rules & standing orders · click any section in the rail for the full treatment