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Law & Motion and Discovery

Hearings in Law & Motion and Discovery Departments

LAW AND MOTION PUBLIC NOTICE - NOVEMBER 2024

ALERT - NOTICE OF CHANGES IN POLICY REGARDING UNAVAILABILITY OF OFFICIAL COURT REPORTERS IN CIVIL CASES

9:00 a.m. Discovery Hearings – Effective December 09, 2024 Civil Discovery Department will be held in Department 301 for Odd case numbers and Department 302 for Even case numbers.  Counsel and parties may appear in the Discovery Department by videoconference using Zoom (see below) or in person.

9:00 a.m. Law & Motion Hearings – Effective Monday, December 09, 2024, all attorneys and parties may appear in Departments 301 and 302 remotely.  Remote hearings will be conducted by videoconference using Zoom (see below).

11:00 a.m. Ex Parte Hearings – Appearances are by CourtCall only.  Parties must contact CourtCall at 1-888-88-COURT in advance to schedule an appearance for both Department 301 (Odd case numbers) and Department 302 (Even case numbers).

Counsel and parties can appear by videoconference and the public can view and/or listen to hearings, by clicking on the appropriate links below:

Department 301 Daily at 9:00 a.m.(link is external)  

Department 302 Daily at 9:00 a.m.(link is external)

If unable to join using the links above, the hearings may be joined by telephone by dialing +1 669 254 5252 and entering the meeting ID and password below.

Department 301: Meeting ID: 161 502 4290  Passcode: 700956

Department 302: Meeting ID: 160 409 7690     Passcode: 516287

Law & Motion

For motions to be filed, the moving party should confer with all other parties before scheduling and noticing a hearing, and may then e-file and notice the hearing in accordance with Code of Civil Procedure Section 1005 or other applicable requirements. The moving party does not need to clear the selected hearing date with or obtain a reservation number from the court Dept. 301/ 302 before filing the motion. The moving party must state the selected hearing date on the motion to be filed.

For all law and motion matters, the court will post tentative rulings and follow the procedures set forth in San Francisco County Superior Court Local Rule 8.3 et seq.

Ex Parte Hearings

Ex parte hearings for both law and motion and discovery matters are held daily at 11:00 a.m. by CourtCall. No in-person appearances will be permitted. No later than two (2) hours prior to the hearing, the moving party must e-file the moving papers and attach them to an email to the opposing party/counsel addressed to contestdept302tr@sftc.org(link sends email) with the subject line, “Ex Parte Application.”   Both paper and electronic copies of the moving papers must be delivered to Dept. 301 (Odd number cases) or Dept. 302 (Even number cases) no later than two (2) hours prior to the hearing.

A party presenting an ex parte application in the law and motion department for a temporary restraining order, alternative writ, appointment of a receiver must schedule the hearing with the court by sending an email to calendar301@sftc.org(link sends email)  or  calendar302@sftc.org(link sends email) at least 24 hours in advance of the proposed hearing date.

Court Reporter Information

The court is no longer providing a court reporter in the Law & Motion Department.

Parties may now retain their own certified reporter, who may appear in the courtroom or remotely.

Discovery

Discovery motions are heard on the daily 9:00 a.m. Discovery Calendar.

For discovery motions to be filed, the moving party should confer with all other parties before scheduling and noticing a hearing, and may then e-file and notice the hearing in accordance with Code of Civil Procedure Section 1005 or other applicable requirements. The moving party does not need to clear the selected hearing date with or obtain a reservation number from the court before filing the motion. The moving party must state the selected hearing date on the motion to be filed. Department 301 will hear ODD case number matters and Department 302 will hear Even case number matters.

For all discovery matters, the court will post tentative rulings and follow the procedures set forth in San Francisco County Superior Court Local Rule 8.3 et seq. All hearings will be conducted remotely by Zoom videoconference,  in-person appearances are permitted.

The parties need to deliver courtesy copies of their filed discovery motion papers to Department 301 (Odd case number)or 302 (Even case number). 

The court does not provide official court reporters for hearings in the discovery department. Any party who wishes to supply its own court reporter must ensure that the reporter is a California-certified shorthand reporter and is capable of reporting a hearing conducted by Zoom videoconference.

Please Note the Following Types of Requests/cases Are Not Heard in Dept. 301/302

Request/Case Type Correct Department
  • Trial Continuance
  • Service On Corporation By Service On Secretary of State
  • Service of Summons By Publication
  • Appointment of Guardian Ad Litem
  • Fee Waiver

Dept. 206, Presiding Judge

Applicable Link

  • Asbestos cases – All requests
  • CEQA cases – All requests
Dept. 304, Asbestos Dept.
  • Real Property cases (See Local Rule 8.10) – All law & motion requests and all ex parte requests
  • (only fully-noticed discovery motions may be noticed for the 9:00 a.m. Discovery Calendar)
  • Unlawful Detainer cases – All requests

Dept. 501, the Real Property/Housing Court

  • Extension of Time to Serve Summons and Complaint
  • Extension of Time to Respond to Complaint

Dept. 610, Civil Case Management

  • Order for Examination
  • Civil Pitchess Motion

Dept. 505

(Courtroom: 415-551-3796)

Probate cases– All requests

Probate Court

Family Law cases – All requests

Unified Family Court

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