Chief Magistrate Judge Karen L. Stevenson -- United States District Court, Central District of California

Courtroom 580, 5th Floor, Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and United States Courthouse, Los Angeles

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Key Traps — Where Counsel Gets Caught

1. Pre-motion telephonic conference is MANDATORY — no discovery motion may be filed until it is held, and the Court may STRIKE any discovery motion filed in violation
2. Only escape from the mandatory pre-motion conference is leave of Court sought by ex parte application — self-help skipping is not an option
3. Mandatory chambers copies of ALL e-filed documents to 12th-floor copy box by noon next court day — Judge Stevenson has NOT waived LR 5-4.5 the way many CA-CD colleagues have
4. Failure to deliver timely chambers copies may delay the hearing OR remove the matter from the calendar entirely
5. Letters to chambers are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN and may lead to sanctions — a hard bright line, not a suggestion
6. IDC email must include at least three proposed times, a NEUTRAL dispute statement, and ONE SENTENCE per party describing (not arguing) position — argument in the request will be rejected
7. Judge Stevenson does NOT conduct settlement proceedings in cases where she is the presiding judge — reassignment required, so do not calendar with her
8. Settlement-conference papers via email only if TOTAL is 20 pages or less — larger sets must be hand-delivered to Suite 1200, 12th floor Roybal
9. Ex parte opposition due within 24 hours of applicant's ORAL notice — not e-filing time; clock starts at oral contact
10. Ex parte caption MUST identify 'OPPOSED' or 'UNOPPOSED' AND whether prior ex parte relief was sought (e.g., 'FIRST ex parte application for extension of time') — missing caption elements bounce
11. Under-seal filings require BOTH e-filed application AND chambers email tagged 'UNDER SEAL REQUEST' with a Word proposed order — one channel is not enough
12. Telephonic appearance request due at least 2 court days before hearing, by formal pleading, on good-cause showing — informal or day-of asks denied

Quick Reference

Topic	Rule
Motion Days	Civil Motions: Unless otherwise directed by the Court, civil motions are heard on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. It is not necessary to clear a civil motion date with the Courtroom Deputy Clerk (CRD) prior to filing the motion. However, parties should carefully review potential dates and NOT notice a hearing for any date designated as 'Closed'. The Court may take a motion under submission without oral argument. See Local Civil Rule 7-15. The parties are reminded of their obligation under Local Civil Rule 7-3, if applicable, to meet and confer about the subject of a motion at least 7 days before filing. [Judge Stevenson Procedures Page]
Chambers Copies	Conditional Mandatory Chambers Copies: Mandatory chambers copies of all e-filed documents (except as described in Procedure 8 for Under Seal Documents)... [Judge Stevenson Procedures Page]
Tentative Rulings	Tentative Rulings: If the Court determines that issuing a tentative ruling is appropriate, the ruling will be provided to counsel when counsel checks in with the CRD. [Judge Stevenson Procedures Page]
Remote Appearances	Telephonic Appearances: Any party who wishes to appear at a hearing by telephone shall make such a request at least two court days before the hearing. Telephonic appearances are not allowed absent permission of the Court given on showing of good cause. Requests shall be made by formal pleading. Special Appearances: The Court does not permit special appearances. Counsel of record shall appear at all court proceedings. [Judge Stevenson Procedures Page]

Procedural Briefing by Motion Type

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Before You File

Motion Days & Times

Civil Motions: Unless otherwise directed by the Court, civil motions are heard on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. It is not necessary to clear a civil motion date with the Courtroom Deputy Clerk (CRD) prior to filing the motion. However, parties should carefully review potential dates and NOT notice a hearing for any date designated as 'Closed'. The Court may take a motion under submission without oral argument. See Local Civil Rule 7-15. The parties are reminded of their obligation under Local Civil Rule 7-3, if applicable, to meet and confer about the subject of a motion at least 7 days before filing. [Judge Stevenson Procedures Page]

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At Filing

Chambers Copies

Conditional Mandatory Chambers Copies: Mandatory chambers copies of all e-filed documents (except as described in Procedure 8 for Under Seal Documents) must be delivered to the chambers copy box on the 12th Floor by noon on the court day following the date of filing as required by Local Civil Rule 5-4.5. Electronic copies of proposed orders shall be emailed to the Court at KS_Chambers@cacd.uscourts.gov. Proposed orders shall be in Microsoft Word format. Failure to deliver timely mandatory chambers copies may result in a delay in hearing a motion or removal of the matter from the calendar. [Judge Stevenson Procedures Page]

Proposed Orders

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

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Before the Hearing

Tentative Rulings

Tentative Rulings: If the Court determines that issuing a tentative ruling is appropriate, the ruling will be provided to counsel when counsel checks in with the CRD. [Judge Stevenson Procedures Page]

Remote Appearances

Telephonic Appearances: Any party who wishes to appear at a hearing by telephone shall make such a request at least two court days before the hearing. Telephonic appearances are not allowed absent permission of the Court given on showing of good cause. Requests shall be made by formal pleading. Special Appearances: The Court does not permit special appearances. Counsel of record shall appear at all court proceedings. [Judge Stevenson Procedures Page]

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Background Rules

Chambers Contact

Communication with the Court: Inquiries regarding the status of a motion, stipulation, or proposed order should be made by checking the docket. If the information is unavailable, the parties may contact the CRD. Also, please refer to Local Civil Rule 83-2.5. Counsel and the parties must not contact or communicate with the magistrate judge's law clerks unless expressly authorized by the Court or the Court's CRD, the Local Rules, or this Court's rules. Similarly, counsel and the parties may communicate with chambers by means of the Court's email address only as expressly authorized by the Court or the Court's CRD, the Local Rules, or this Court's rules. Letters to chambers are strictly forbidden and may lead to sanctions against the offending party. [Judge Stevenson Procedures Page]

Discovery Dispute Procedure

Pre-Motion Telephonic Conference: In the Court's experience, discovery disputes may often be resolved without the need for formal motion papers. First, as Local Civil Rule 37-1 requires, the parties must meet and confer in an attempt to resolve any discovery dispute. Once the parties have determined that they have reached an impasse, within twenty-four hours of the last conference, the movant must e-mail the Court's Chambers in-box at (KS_Chambers@cacd.uscourts.gov) seeking a telephone conference with the Court to discuss the discovery dispute. No discovery motion may be filed until the Court has conducted its pre-motion telephonic conference. [Judge Stevenson Procedures Page]

Discovery Motion Process

Discovery Motions Generally: Discovery motions are to be scheduled before the magistrate judge unless otherwise ordered by the district judge. The parties are advised to review the procedures and standing orders of the assigned district judge before filing any discovery motion. Strict compliance with Local Civil Rule 37 is required. The Court may take a motion under submission without oral argument. See Local Civil Rule 7-15. No discovery motion may be filed until the Court has conducted its pre-motion telephonic conference unless the movant has obtained leave of Court sought by an ex parte application. The Court may strike any discovery motion filed in violation. [Judge Stevenson Procedures Page]

Ex Parte Applications

Ex Parte Applications: Strict compliance with Local Civil Rules 7-19 and 7-19.1 is required. Any opposition should be served and filed within 24 hours of applicant's oral notice. Conformed paper copies of the filed application and any opposition should be delivered directly to chambers. Ex parte applications will ordinarily be decided on the papers without oral argument. The Court will notify the parties if it desires a hearing. Absent an emergency, ex parte applications are not an acceptable method of bringing a discovery dispute to the attention of the Court. Ex parte applications must identify in the caption whether 'OPPOSED' or 'UNOPPOSED' and must also identify in the caption whether the relief being sought has been previously sought via ex parte application (e.g., 'FIRST ex parte application for extension of time,' 'SECOND ex parte application for extension of time'). [Judge Stevenson Procedures Page]

Under Seal Filings

Under Seal Documents (Civil and Criminal): A party seeking to file materials under seal must first file the application to seal and the declaration giving notice or proof of service electronically via the Court's CM/ECF system. Separately attach a proposed order to the electronically filed application. After electronically filing the application and declaration giving notice or proof of service, the moving party will send an e-mail to the Chambers e-mail (KS_Chambers@cacd.uscourts.gov) containing the application and declaration giving notice or a proof of service, a Word version of the proposed order, and a PDF version of the materials to be filed under seal. The subject line of the e-mail must bear the name and number and include the phrase 'UNDER SEAL REQUEST.' [Judge Stevenson Procedures Page]

Sources & Currency

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