judge console · N.D. Cal.
N.D. Cal. · Judge Martinez-Olguin · Practice Guide

Hon. Araceli Martinez-Olguin

Verified 2026-09-04verify 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 Martinez-Olguin — standing order
Hearing days

Civil motions are heard in person at the United States Courthouse, 1301 Clay Street, Oakland, California on Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. Absent exceptional circumstances, motions noticed for hearing with less than four weeks between the close of briefing and the hearing may be automatically re-noticed by the Court.

Chambers / courtesy copies
👤 Judge Martinez-Olguin — standing order
Details

Except for filings of less than 8 pages, chambers copies of any filing must be provided within two (2) days of filing. Chambers copies should be double-sided (when possible) and three-hole punched along the left side of the page, and should bear the ECF filing "stamp" (case number, docket number, date, and ECF page number) along the top of the page.

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) ↗

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 Martinez-Olguin — standing order
Default practice

The Court may notify the parties in advance of a setting that will be conducted via Zoom rather than in person, but the default rule is that all settings are held in person. During motion hearings, the parties should expect to first answer the Court's questions. Thereafter, unless a case is particularly complex, each side is typically allotted five (5) minutes of additional oral argument.

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 Martinez-Olguin — standing order

Counsel for each party shall meet and confer in person or via videoconference to attempt to resolve their dispute informally. A mere exchange of letters, emails, telephone calls or facsimile transmissions does not satisfy the meet and confer requirement. If the parties are unable to resolve their dispute informally after a good faith effort, including meet and confer efforts conducted by lead trial counsel, the parties shall prepare a joint statement of not more than five pages (12-point font or greater) stating the nature and status of the dispute.

Know Before You Go
👤 Judge Martinez-Olguin — deviations that burn people
  • Failure to oppose a motion constitutes consent to its granting -- this is an explicit standing order provision, not just a Local Rule citation.
  • Motions noticed with fewer than 4 weeks between close of briefing and hearing may be automatically re-noticed -- plan your schedule with this minimum gap.
  • Judge relocated to Oakland (United States Courthouse, 1301 Clay Street) as of Aug. 2026 -- no longer sits in Courtroom 10, San Francisco.
  • Chambers copies required within 2 days of filing for filings of 8+ pages (shortened from 3 days; exemption changed from admin motions/stipulations to under-8-pages) -- effective Aug. 2026.
  • Do NOT email amocrd@cand.uscourts.gov with electronic copies of filings -- the court will request them if needed.
  • Footnotes: argument in footnotes will not be considered; string citations without analysis or parentheticals will be disregarded; incorporation by reference of prior arguments may be stricken.
  • AI content: any submission containing AI-generated content must include a certification that lead trial counsel personally verified accuracy -- failure is grounds for sanctions.
  • Daubert motions: limited to 3 per side; 5-page opening/responsive, 3-page replies. Must specify paragraphs or portions of report sought to be excluded.
  • Requests to use audio-visual demonstratives during hearings must be filed as administrative motions at least 14 court days before the hearing.
  • Oral argument format reversed (Aug. 2026): during motion hearings, expect to answer the Court's questions FIRST, then receive up to 5 minutes of additional argument -- not the reverse.
  • MSJ now requires a pre-filing letter-brief conference at least 21 days before close of expert discovery -- filing an MSJ without it is a new procedural trap.
content assembled from published local rules & standing orders · click any section in the rail for the full treatment
Get updates on Judge Martinez-Olguin's procedures
Standing order changes, new key traps, and C.D. Cal. practice intelligence.