Judge Fernando M. Olguin -- United States District Court, Central District of California

Courtroom 6D, 6th Floor, Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez United States Courthouse, Los Angeles

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Key Traps — Where Counsel Gets Caught

1. Motion noticed more than 35 days beyond filing may be STRICKEN or advanced to an earlier date — do not park a hearing far out on the calendar
2. Motion hearings only on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.; if Thursday is a national holiday, motion rolls to the next Thursday (not intervening business day)
3. Telephonic appearances for hearings are NOT permitted — the court sets them only on its own motion via court order
4. Ex parte opposition timing is bifurcated: 24 hours if the opposing party has appeared, 48 hours if they have NOT previously appeared — different deadlines for the same application
5. Ex parte replies are NOT allowed and will be STRICKEN unless the court orders otherwise
6. Continuance requests must be submitted no later than 5 court days BEFORE the scheduled date — later requests are presumptively untimely
7. Junior-lawyer opportunity: court strongly encourages less-experienced attorneys to argue motions or examine witnesses; provide the CRD with names at least 10 calendar days before the proceeding
8. Proposed orders must be emailed in WordPerfect or Word to fmo_chambers@cacd.uscourts.gov ON the same day the document is e-filed
9. Mandatory chambers copies must comply with L.R. 11-3 formatting AND the L.R. 11-4.1.1 'backing' requirement (unlike many CA-CD judges who waive blue-backing) — sanctions may issue for non-compliance
10. Chambers copies must be labeled 'Mandatory Chambers Copy' on the front page with the NEF attached to the back; do NOT bind or staple separate filings together

Quick Reference

Topic	Rule
Motion Days	§IV.A.1. Time for Filing and Hearing Motions. Motions shall be filed in accordance with Local Rule 7. The court hears motions on Thursdays, beginning at 10:00 a.m. unless otherwise ordered by the court. If a Thursday is a national holiday, motions will be heard on the next Thursday. [olguin-fernando \| motion_hearing_days]
Motion Limit	§IV.A.3. Length and Format of Motion Papers. Local Rule 11-6.1 limits all memoranda of points and authorities to '7,000 words, including headings, footnotes, and quotations but excluding the caption, the table of contents, the table of authorities, the signature block, the certification required by L.R. 11-6.2, and any indices and exhibits.' An application for leave to exceed the word limitation will be granted only in extraordinary circumstances; the requesting party must provide specific facts supporting their request. Any supplemental briefs filed without prior leave of court will be stricken. [olguin-fernando \| page_limits_motions]
Reply Limit	Silent on page limits replies. [olguin-fernando \| page_limits_replies]
Chambers Copies	Conditional §VI. Mandatory Chambers Copies. A copy of all papers filed with the court shall be delivered to the Clerk's Office on the 4th Floor of the... [olguin-fernando \| chambers_copies_details]
Tentative Rulings	Silent on tentative rulings. Not applicable: federal court does not issue tentative rulings. [olguin-fernando \| tentative_rulings]
Remote Appearances	JPS §5: Telephonic Appearances: Telephonic appearances for hearings in court are not permitted. In some instances, the court will set telephonic hearings and will do so on its own motion via court order. [olguin-fernando \| remote_appearances]
Discovery	§III.B. Unless otherwise ordered, all discovery matters have been referred to the assigned magistrate judge, who will hear all discovery disputes. The magistrate judge's initials follow the district judge's initials next to the case number. [olguin-fernando \| discovery_referral]

Procedural Briefing by Motion Type

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Before You File

Motion Days & Times

§IV.A.1. Time for Filing and Hearing Motions. Motions shall be filed in accordance with Local Rule 7. The court hears motions on Thursdays, beginning at 10:00 a.m. unless otherwise ordered by the court. If a Thursday is a national holiday, motions will be heard on the next Thursday. [olguin-fernando | motion_hearing_days]

Notice Period

§IV.A.1. It is not necessary to clear a hearing date with the court's courtroom deputy clerk ('CRD') before filing a motion. If the motion date selected is not available, counsel should notice the motion for the next available date. Unless otherwise ordered, any motion that is noticed more than 35 days beyond the date the motion is filed may be stricken or advanced to an earlier motion date. [olguin-fernando | motion_notice_days]

Motion Page / Word Limit

§IV.A.3. Length and Format of Motion Papers. Local Rule 11-6.1 limits all memoranda of points and authorities to '7,000 words, including headings, footnotes, and quotations but excluding the caption, the table of contents, the table of authorities, the signature block, the certification required by L.R. 11-6.2, and any indices and exhibits.' An application for leave to exceed the word limitation will be granted only in extraordinary circumstances; the requesting party must provide specific facts supporting their request. Any supplemental briefs filed without prior leave of court will be stricken. [olguin-fernando | page_limits_motions]

Opposition Limit

§IV.A.3. Local Rule 11-6.1 limits all memoranda of points and authorities to '7,000 words, including headings, footnotes, and quotations but excluding the caption, the table of contents, the table of authorities, the signature block, the certification required by L.R. 11-6.2, and any indices and exhibits.' [olguin-fernando | page_limits_oppositions]

Reply Limit

Silent on page limits replies. [olguin-fernando | page_limits_replies]

Font & Formatting

Silent on font formatting. [olguin-fernando | font_formatting]

Footnote Policy

Silent on footnote policy. [olguin-fernando | footnote_policy]

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At Filing

Chambers Copies

Conditional §VI. Mandatory Chambers Copies. A copy of all papers filed with the court shall be delivered to the Clerk's Office on the 4th Floor of the First Street Courthouse, no later than 12:00 noon the following business day. All chambers copies shall comply fully with the document formatting requirements of Local Rule 11-3 and the 'backing' requirements of Local Rule 11-4.1.1. Counsel may be subject to sanctions for failure to deliver a mandatory chambers copy in full compliance with this Order and Local Rules 11-3 and 11-4.1.1. [olguin-fernando | chambers_copies_details]

ECF Stamp Requirements

JPS §Mandatory Chambers Copies: Each document must be labeled prominently, 'Mandatory Chambers Copy,' on the front page and the notice of electronic filing shall be attached to the back of the document. Do not bind or staple separate filings together as one document. [olguin-fernando | ecf_stamp_requirements]

Proposed Orders

§IV.A.7. Proposed Orders. Each party filing or opposing a motion or seeking the determination of any matter shall serve and lodge – at the time the moving or opposition papers are filed – a proposed order setting forth the relief or action sought and a brief statement of the rationale for the decision with appropriate citations. In addition, a copy of the proposed order in WordPerfect or Word format shall be e-mailed to chambers at fmo_chambers@cacd.uscourts.gov on the day the document is e-filed. [olguin-fernando | proposed_orders]

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Before the Hearing

Tentative Rulings

Silent on tentative rulings. Not applicable: federal court does not issue tentative rulings. [olguin-fernando | tentative_rulings]

Prohibition / Ex Parte Contact Re Tentatives

Silent on tentative ruling prohibition. Not applicable: federal court does not issue tentative rulings. [olguin-fernando | tentative_ruling_prohibition]

Oral Argument

§IV.A.8. Oral Argument. If the court deems a matter appropriate for decision without oral argument, the court will notify the parties in advance. See Local Rule 7-15. The court strongly encourages parties to permit less experienced lawyers to actively participate in the proceedings by presenting argument at motion hearings or examining witnesses at trial. Counsel shall provide the CRD with the names of the less experienced attorneys that will be arguing motions or examining witnesses at least ten (10) calendar days before the court proceeding. [olguin-fernando | oral_argument_default]

Remote Appearances

JPS §5: Telephonic Appearances: Telephonic appearances for hearings in court are not permitted. In some instances, the court will set telephonic hearings and will do so on its own motion via court order. [olguin-fernando | remote_appearances]

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Background Rules

Chambers Contact

JPS §7-8: Communications with Chambers Staff: Counsel should not contact the court's law clerks unless responding to an inquiry initiated by chambers. Status Inquiries: Please do not call or email the CRD to ask about the status of a pending request/motion/application/hearing. The CRD will not return such inquiries regarding the status of submitted matters. Counsel may determine the status of any case by accessing the docket sheet through PACER. [olguin-fernando | chambers_contact_restrictions]

Discovery Referral

§III.B. Unless otherwise ordered, all discovery matters have been referred to the assigned magistrate judge, who will hear all discovery disputes. The magistrate judge's initials follow the district judge's initials next to the case number. [olguin-fernando | discovery_referral]

Discovery Motion Process

§III.B. Discovery Matters Referred to Magistrate Judge. Unless otherwise ordered, all discovery matters have been referred to the assigned magistrate judge, who will hear all discovery disputes. All discovery-related documents must include the words 'DISCOVERY MATTER' in the caption to ensure proper routing. Counsel are directed to review the magistrate judge's Procedures and Schedules on the Central District's website to schedule discovery matters for hearing. [olguin-fernando | discovery_motion_process]

Ex Parte Applications

§V. Following service of the ex parte papers, the moving party shall notify the opposing party that its opposition papers must be filed no later than twenty-four (24) hours (or one court day) following service, except in cases where the opposing party has not previously appeared. Where the opposing party has not previously appeared, the moving party shall, following service of the ex parte papers, notify the opposing party that its opposition papers must be filed no later than forty-eight (48) hours following service. Unless otherwise ordered, reply briefs are not allowed and will be stricken. [olguin-fernando | ex_parte_notice]

Lead Counsel

Silent on lead counsel requirement. [olguin-fernando | lead_counsel_requirement]

Under Seal Filings

JPS §2: Filing Documents Under Seal: In civil cases, counsel shall comply with Local Rule 79-5.2. Also, counsel should review the 'Guide to E-filing Sealed Documents 11.25.15,' found on the court's website. A document presented for filing at the Civil Intake or Criminal Intake Windows will be rejected, and the party submitting the document will be directed to follow 79-5.2. [olguin-fernando | under_seal_requirements]

Continuances & Calendar Conflicts

§VII. Continuances or Extensions of Time. Counsel must submit any request for a continuance or extension of time no later than five (5) court days prior to the expiration of the scheduled date. Requests for continuances will not be granted routinely. A stipulation to continue the date of any matter must be supported by a detailed declaration that demonstrates good cause justifying the requested date change. The stipulation must also indicate whether there have been any previous requests for continuances and whether those requests were granted or denied by the court. [olguin-fernando | continuances_calendar_conflicts]

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AI & Style Preferences

AI Disclosure Requirement

§IV.A.5. Artificial Intelligence. If any party or attorney uses an artificial intelligence tool in the preparation of any filing, the submission of that document signifies that the individual responsible for the filing has certified that she/he reviewed all source material and verified the accuracy of any AI content. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 11.

Sources & Currency

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