Magistrate Judge A. Joel Richlin -- United States District Court, Central District of California

Courtroom 780, 7th Floor, Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and United States Courthouse, Los Angeles

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Key Traps — Where Counsel Gets Caught

1. Dispenses with the LR 37-2 joint stipulation for discovery motions — moving/opposing/reply papers under LR 7 instead, but only after the mandatory pre-motion Zoom conference.
2. No discovery motion may be filed until the Court has conducted a pre-discovery Zoom conference unless the movant obtains leave of Court.
3. IDC email to AJR_Chambers must include 3 mutually-agreed Zoom times, discovery cut-off date, neutral statement of each issue, and each party's brief position — opposing counsel cc'd.
4. Discovery motions capped at 10 pages moving, 10 pages opposition, 5 pages reply; Social Security opening briefs capped at 15 pages, replies at 5.
5. Inverse chambers-copies rule: NONE required in civil cases; ALL filings required in criminal cases — courtesy copies may be emailed (no hard copy) to AJR_Chambers.
6. Ex parte opposition due within ONE BUSINESS DAY of electronic filing (not 24 hours) — subtle timing distinction from other magistrates.
7. Custody exception: ex parte movant need not provide oral notice to a party in custody before filing but must make reasonable efforts to notify as quickly as practicable.
8. Ex parte applications may not be used to obtain a discovery ruling absent emergency — discovery goes through the pre-motion Zoom conference channel.
9. Zoom or telephonic appearance requests are made by email to chambers (AJR_Chambers) with all parties cc'd — no written motion practice for the request itself.
10. Civil motions heard Mondays and Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. (afternoon, not morning); off-day/off-time requests go through the CRD by email.
11. Criminal motions require contacting the CRD by email to schedule — no self-selection of hearing dates as in civil.
12. Under-seal filings cannot rely on CM/ECF for service (sealed docs visible only to filer and Court); FRCP 5 service and a Proof of Service or declaration are required.
13. All proposed orders must be emailed in Microsoft Word to AJR_Chambers; stipulated protective orders require the FULL text of the stipulated order attached to the proposed order.

Quick Reference

Topic	Rule
Motion Days	Civil motions are heard on Mondays and Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. Please check the Closed Motion Dates before filing a motion. Other than discovery motions, discussed below, it is not necessary to clear a civil motion date with the Court before filing the motion. If you would like a date or time other than Monday or Wednesday at 1:30 p.m., please reach out to the Courtroom Deputy Clerk by email. In criminal cases, please contact the Courtroom Deputy Clerk by email to schedule all motions. [Judge Richlin Procedures Page]
Motion Limit	Discovery motions: No discovery motion may exceed 10 pages unless leave of Court is obtained in advance. The opposition may not exceed 10 pages unless leave of Court is obtained in advance. Any reply is limited to 5 pages. Social Security Appeals: Neither party's opening briefing may exceed 15 pages in length. Plaintiff's reply brief, if any, may not exceed 5 pages in length. [Judge Richlin Procedures Page]
Chambers Copies	Conditional Judge Richlin does not require courtesy copies in civil cases, but does require courtesy copies of all filings in criminal cases. Courtesy... [Judge Richlin Procedures Page]
Remote Appearances	Proceedings will be held in person unless the parties are otherwise notified by the Court. A party may request a telephonic or Zoom appearance by sending an email request to chambers and copying all other parties on the email (AJR_Chambers@cacd.uscourts.gov). [Judge Richlin Procedures Page]

Procedural Briefing by Motion Type

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Before You File

Motion Days & Times

Civil motions are heard on Mondays and Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. Please check the Closed Motion Dates before filing a motion. Other than discovery motions, discussed below, it is not necessary to clear a civil motion date with the Court before filing the motion. If you would like a date or time other than Monday or Wednesday at 1:30 p.m., please reach out to the Courtroom Deputy Clerk by email. In criminal cases, please contact the Courtroom Deputy Clerk by email to schedule all motions. [Judge Richlin Procedures Page]

Motion Page / Word Limit

Discovery motions: No discovery motion may exceed 10 pages unless leave of Court is obtained in advance. The opposition may not exceed 10 pages unless leave of Court is obtained in advance. Any reply is limited to 5 pages. Social Security Appeals: Neither party's opening briefing may exceed 15 pages in length. Plaintiff's reply brief, if any, may not exceed 5 pages in length. [Judge Richlin Procedures Page]

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At Filing

Chambers Copies

Conditional Judge Richlin does not require courtesy copies in civil cases, but does require courtesy copies of all filings in criminal cases. Courtesy copies can be emailed (no hard copies needed) to chambers at AJR_Chambers@cacd.uscourts.gov. Electronic copies of proposed orders in Microsoft Word must be emailed to the Court at AJR_Chambers@cacd.uscourts.gov. [Judge Richlin Procedures Page]

Proposed Orders

Electronic copies of proposed orders in Microsoft Word must be emailed to the Court at AJR_Chambers@cacd.uscourts.gov. Form of Proposed Order: All proposed orders approving stipulated protective orders must be submitted (1) in Word format, and (2) with the full text of the stipulated protective order. [Judge Richlin Procedures Page]

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Before the Hearing

Remote Appearances

Proceedings will be held in person unless the parties are otherwise notified by the Court. A party may request a telephonic or Zoom appearance by sending an email request to chambers and copying all other parties on the email (AJR_Chambers@cacd.uscourts.gov). [Judge Richlin Procedures Page]

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Background Rules

Chambers Contact

Counsel are not allowed to contact the Judge's law clerks. Inquiries regarding the status of a motion, stipulation, or proposed order should be directed to the Courtroom Deputy Clerk. [Judge Richlin Procedures Page]

Discovery Dispute Procedure

Brief Pre-Discovery Motion Conference: In the Court's experience, discovery disputes often may be resolved without the need for formal motion papers. First, as Local Civil Rule 37-1 requires, the parties must meet and confer in a good-faith effort to resolve any discovery dispute. Second, if the parties conclude that they have reached an impasse, the movant must e-mail the Court at AJR_Chambers@cacd.uscourts.gov seeking a conference with the Court via Zoom to discuss the discovery dispute. No discovery motion may be filed until the Court has conducted a pre-motion conference via Zoom unless the movant has obtained leave of Court. [Judge Richlin Procedures Page]

Discovery Motion Process

Discovery Motion Practice. In light of the Court's pre-discovery motion conference, the Court dispenses with the joint stipulation requirement under Local Civil Rule 37-2. The Court requires parties to file moving, opposing, and reply papers pursuant to Local Civil Rule 7. Unless otherwise ordered in the pre-discovery motion conference, the following rules apply to discovery motions practice: (1) If leave of Court to file a discovery motion is granted and the Court does not set responsive dates, or after a pre-discovery motion conference the Court directs the parties to file a discovery motion and does not specify responsive dates, counsel shall follow Local Civil Rule 7-4 et seq. and file a properly noticed discovery motion. (2) No discovery motion may exceed 10 pages unless leave of Court is obtained in advance. (3) The opposition may not exceed 10 pages unless leave of Court is obtained in advance. (4) Any reply is limited to 5 pages. [Judge Richlin Procedures Page]

Ex Parte Applications

Procedures for filing an ex parte application: Strict compliance with Local Rule 7-19 is required. Any opposition must be filed within one business day of the electronic filing of the application. The Court will notify parties if a hearing is desired. Please note that, absent an emergency, ex parte applications may not be used to obtain a ruling on a discovery dispute. Parties in Custody Ex Parte Applications: A party submitting an ex parte application need not provide a party in custody with oral notice prior to filing, but must make all reasonable efforts to provide notice as quickly as practicable consistent with Local Civil Rules 7-19 and 7-19.1. [Judge Richlin Procedures Page]

Under Seal Filings

Under Seal Procedures: Compliance with Local Rule 79-5.2 is required. Because documents filed under seal are visible on CM/ECF or Pacer only to the filing party and to Court personnel, a party electronically filing a document under seal may not rely on the Court's CM/ECF System to effect service as provided in Local Rule 5-3.2.1. Documents filed electronically under seal must be served in accordance with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5. Documents filed electronically under seal must be accompanied by either a Proof of Service in the form required by Local Rule 5-3.1.2 or a declaration explaining why service is not required. In camera review is governed by Local Rule 79-6. [Judge Richlin Procedures Page]

Sources & Currency

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