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8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
9 CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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, Case No.
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Plaintiff(s), STANDING ORDER FOR CIVIL
12 CASES ASSIGNED TO JUDGE
v. STANLEY BLUMENFELD, JR.
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, [Updated 1/6/26]
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15 Defendants(s).
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17 READ THIS ORDER CAREFULLY BECAUSE IT CONTROLS THIS CASE
AND DIFFERS IN PART FROM THE LOCAL RULES. FAILURE TO
18 COMPLY MAY RESULT IN SANCTIONS.
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20 Counsel for the plaintiff must immediately serve this order on all parties,
21 including any new parties to the action. If this case was removed from state court, the
22 defendant that removed the case must serve this order on all other parties. A
23 hyperlinked table of contents appears below.
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2 TABLE OF CONTENTS
3 1. Counsel 9. Ex Parte Applications
4 2. Communications with Chambers 10. Continuances
5 3. Pleadings 11. Class Actions
6 4. Discovery 12. ERISA Cases (Benefit Claims)
7 5. Filing Requirements 13. Bankruptcy Appeals
8 6. General Motion Requirements 14. Consent to Magistrate Judge
9 7. Specific Motion Requirements 15. Sanctions for Failing to Comply
10 8. Hearings
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13 1. COUNSEL
14 a. Civility. All counsel must immediately review and comply with the
15 Court’s Civility and Professionalism Guidelines, available at
16 www.cacd.uscourts.gov/attorneys/admissions/civility-and-
17 professionalism-guidelines. Failure to do so may result in sanctions.
18 b. Presence of Lead Counsel. Only one attorney for a party may be
19 designated as lead counsel—and the designation must appear on the
20 docket if a party has more than one attorney. Lead counsel must attend
21 all proceedings other than motion hearings. For motion hearings, lead
22 counsel is encouraged to permit junior lawyers to participate. Only one
23 counsel may be designated to argue a motion absent Court approval.
24 c. Self-Represented Parties (a/k/a “Pro Se” Litigants). Parties
25 representing themselves (pro se litigants) are required to comply with all
26 Local Rules, including Local Rule 16 (“Pretrial Conferences; Scheduling;
27 Management”). In this order, the term “counsel” includes pro se
28 litigants. Only individuals may represent themselves and only in their
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1 individual capacities. A corporation or other entity must be represented
2 by counsel, and if counsel seeks to withdraw, counsel must advise the
3 entity of the dire consequences of failing to obtain substitute counsel
4 before seeking withdrawal—i.e., a plaintiff entity’s case will be
5 dismissed or a defendant entity will default. See Local Rule 83-2.3.4.
6 d. Duty to Notify of Settlement. Counsel must advise the Court
7 immediately if (1) the case or any pending matter has been resolved or
8 (2) a motion is pending and the parties are engaged in serious
9 negotiations that appear likely to resolve the case or the pending motion
10 (as discussed in more detail in § 8(f), infra). Failure to provide timely
11 notice of settlement may result in sanctions. The filing of a settlement
12 notice does not excuse counsel from appearing at any scheduled hearing
13 or conference that has not been vacated.
14 e. No “Notices of Unavailability.” A “Notice of Unavailability” has no
15 legal effect and should not be filed.
16 d. Substitution or Withdrawal of Counsel. Any attorney seeking to
17 substitute in as counsel must certify that the substitution will not delay
18 the prosecution of the case. See L.R. 83-2.3.5. If unable to so certify,
19 counsel must file a motion or stipulation showing good cause for the
20 delay and that substitution serves the interests of justice. Counsel
21 remains responsible for representation until the Court approves the
22 withdrawal or substitution.
23 2. COMMUNICATIONS WITH CHAMBERS
24 Counsel shall not contact the courtroom deputy clerk (CRD) to inquire about
25 (1) the status of a pending matter or (2) court procedure addressed in the Local Rules
26 and the Court’s standing orders. Any appropriate inquiry directed to the CRD must be
27 by email only, copied to all parties. Email requests for relief that should be filed on
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1 the docket—e.g., a request for a remote appearance or continuance—will generally be
2 ignored and will not excuse noncompliance with any applicable rule or order.
3 3. PLEADINGS
4 a. Service of the Summons and Complaint. The plaintiff(s) shall
5 promptly obtain the summons and serve the summons and complaint in
6 accordance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 4 and file the proofs of service pursuant
7 to Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(l). Any defendant, including any “Doe” or
8 fictitiously named defendant, not served within 90 days after the case is
9 filed shall be dismissed pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(m).
10 b. Removed Actions. Any answer filed in state court must be refiled in this
11 Court as a supplement to the Notice of Removal. Any motion pending in
12 state court at the time of removal must be re-noticed in accordance with
13 Local Rule 7. If a removed action includes a “form pleading” (i.e., a
14 check-the-box pleading), the party that filed the form pleading must file a
15 pleading in this court that complies with the federal rules within 30 days
16 of the filing of the removal notice. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 7, 7.1, 8, 9, 10,
17 and 11. An amended complaint filed within 30 days after removal to
18 replace a form complaint pursuant to this instruction shall be deemed an
19 amended complaint with “the court’s leave” pursuant to Rule 15(a)(2).
20 c. Status of Fictitiously Named Defendants.
21 i. The plaintiff should identify and serve any fictitiously named
22 defendants before the date of the mandatory scheduling conference
23 (MSC) held pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 16(b).
24 ii. All Doe defendants remaining 60 days after the MSC (or on the
25 date set forth in the scheduling order, if applicable) are dismissed
26 by operation of this Order without further notice unless the
27 plaintiff requests and justifies the need for additional time in the
28 joint report for the MSC and the Court grants an extension.
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1 iii. Before moving to substitute a defendant for a Doe defendant, the
2 plaintiff must seek the consent of counsel for all defendants,
3 including counsel for a represented Doe defendant. If denied
4 consent, the plaintiff must file a regularly noticed motion. In
5 diversity cases, the plaintiff’s motion must address whether the
6 addition of the newly named party destroys diversity jurisdiction.
7 See 28 U.S.C. § 1447(c), (e).
8 4. DISCOVERY
9 a. Magistrate Judge Referral. All discovery matters are referred to the
10 assigned magistrate judge. All discovery documents must include the
11 words “DISCOVERY MATTER” in the caption to ensure proper routing.
12 Do not deliver chambers copies of these documents to Judge Blumenfeld.
13 The decision of the magistrate judge shall be final, subject to limited
14 review requiring a showing that the decision is clearly erroneous or
15 contrary to law. Any party may file and serve a motion for review within
16 14 days of either (i) service of a written ruling or (ii) an oral ruling that
17 expressly will not be followed by a written ruling. The motion must
18 specify which portions of the ruling are clearly erroneous or contrary to
19 law, supported by points and authorities. Counsel shall deliver a
20 conformed copy of the moving papers and responses to the magistrate
21 judge’s clerk at the time of filing.
22 b. Discovery Protective Orders. Proposed protective orders for discovery
23 must be submitted to the assigned magistrate judge. Such orders should
24 not purport to allow, without further order of Judge Blumenfeld, the
25 filing under seal of pleadings or documents filed in connection with a
26 dispositive motion, a class certification motion, or trial before Judge
27 Blumenfeld. The existence of a protective order does not alone justify
28 the filing of pleadings or other documents under seal, in whole or in part.
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1 c. Prompt Commencement of Discovery. The Court encourages the
2 parties to begin discovery early and expects written discovery to be
3 served promptly after the parties have conferred as required under Fed.
4 R. Civ. P. 26(f). A protective order, when necessary, shall be agreed
5 upon within one week of the Rule 26(f) conference.
6 d. Juvenile Records. In cases that will require access to juvenile records,
7 the parties shall identify the necessary records and file all requests for
8 such records with the appropriate state court by no later than the MSC. If
9 the parties fail to do so, the Court is unlikely to grant a continuance based
10 on delay in the process for obtaining juvenile records.
11 5. FILING REQUIREMENTS
12 a. Text Searchability. All documents—including pleadings, motions, and
13 exhibits—submitted to the Court must be text-searchable (i.e., “OCR’d”).
14 b. Documents with Declarations, Exhibits, and Other Attachments.
15 Except for filings in support of summary judgment motions (see MSJ
16 Standing Order), if a filed document has declarations, exhibits, or other
17 attachments, each attachment must be filed as a separately docketed
18 attachment to the main docket entry with a description of the attachment
19 (e.g., Dkt. 29-1 Smith Declaration, 29-2 Ex. 1 - License Agreement, 29-3
20 Request for Judicial Notice). The Court may decline to consider
21 documents not filed in accordance with this order.
22 c. Artificial Intelligence. Any party who uses generative artificial
23 intelligence (such as ChatGPT, Harvey, CoCounsel, or Google Bard) to
24 generate any portion of a brief, pleading, or other filing must attach to the
25 filing a separate declaration disclosing the use of artificial intelligence
26 and certifying that the filer has reviewed the source material and verified
27 that the artificially generated content is accurate and complies with the
28 filer’s Rule 11 obligations.
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1 d. Proposed Orders. Each party filing a motion or seeking the
2 determination of any matter shall serve and lodge a proposed order
3 setting forth the relief or action sought and a brief statement of the
4 rationale for the decision with appropriate citations.
5 i. Templates. Use the “Proposed Order” or the “CMO Continuance
6 Order” template—whichever is applicable—found on the “Orders
7 and Additional Documents” tab on Judge Blumenfeld’s webpage.
8 Failure to do so may result in the striking of the request. Proposed
9 orders should not contain: (1) attorney names, addresses, etc. on
10 the caption page; (2) a footer with the document name or other
11 information; or (3) a watermark or designation of the firm name.
12 Proposed orders should be formatted in the same fashion as
13 motions. See § 6(c)(iv), infra.
14 ii. Email. Consistent with Local Rule 5-4.4.2, the Court strictly
15 requires that a Microsoft Word copy of a proposed order, along
16 with a PDF copy of the electronically filed main document, be e-
17 mailed to the chambers e-mail address. The Court will not
18 consider a stipulation, ex parte application, or other request for
19 relief until a compliant proposed order is received by email. A
20 filing may be stricken for failure to timely comply.
21 e. Chambers Copies. Chambers copies (paper copies that are sent to
22 chambers upon electronic filing of the document) are required for the
23 following documents only: (1) motion papers (motions, oppositions,
24 replies, and related documents1), including motions in limine; (2) ex parte
25 applications for temporary restraining orders; and (3) pretrial documents
26 (memoranda of fact and law, witness and exhibit lists, pretrial conference
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A motion to dismiss should include a copy of the challenged pleading.
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1 statement, jury instructions, verdict forms, etc.). Chambers copies must
2 comply with the rules below.
3 i. Timeliness and location. Deliver chambers copies promptly to
4 Judge Blumenfeld’s mailbox outside the Clerk’s Office on the
5 fourth floor of the First Street Courthouse. Applicable documents
6 will not be considered until chambers copies are submitted.
7 ii. Format. Chambers copies should be copies of the filed
document—i.e., they should have the docket information on the
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top of each page. Filings that include highlighting, color
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photographs, “redlining,” or the like should be printed in color.
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Short filings should be fastened by a staple or binder clip in the top
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left corner. Larger filings should be delivered in a three-ring
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binder. Binders must have both a cover sheet and a spine label that
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includes the case name, case number, and a description of the
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contents.
15 iii. Exhibits. Separate all exhibits by a tab divider on the right or
16 bottom of the document. If the evidence exceeds 50 pages, the
17 chambers copy must: (1) include a table of contents; and (2) be in
18 a tabbed three-ring binder with each exhibit separated by a tab
19 divider on the right or the bottom.
20 f. Notices of Deficiency. When a filing fails to comply with court rules,
21 the Clerk’s Office may issue a notice of deficiency, which typically states
22 that no action is required unless the Court directs otherwise. The parties
23 should not treat the deficient filing as having been stricken unless the
24 Court separately orders it stricken. A deficiency notice by itself does not
25 relieve any party of its obligations with respect to a filing (e.g., timely
26 filing an opposition or appearing at a noticed hearing).
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1 6. GENERAL MOTION REQUIREMENTS
2 a. “Meet and Confer” Requirement. Local Rule 7-3 requires counsel to
3 conduct a prefiling conference at least seven days before a motion is
4 filed2 “to discuss thoroughly . . . the substance of the contemplated
5 motion and any potential resolution” and to include with each motion “a
6 declaration . . . that sets forth at a minimum the date(s) the conference
7 took place and the position of each party with respect to each disputed
8 issue that will be the subject of the motion.”
9 i. Scope. This requirement applies in all cases, including those with
10 pro se litigants, and extends to all issues. If the parties are unable
11 to fully resolve the dispute, they shall attempt to narrow the scope
12 of the contested issues. Parties must meet and confer in person or
13 by videoconference; email correspondence is insufficient. A
14 motion not supported by the certification below may be stricken or
15 summarily denied.
16 ii. Certification. The moving party shall include a signed certification
17 as part of the declaration required by Local Rule 7-3 as follows:
18 “I certify that the parties met in person or by videoconference,
19 thoroughly discussed each and every issue raised in the
20 motion, and attempted in good faith to resolve the motion in
21 whole or in part.”
22 If a nonmoving party refuses to participate in good faith, the
23 moving party shall explain the refusal in detail.
24 iii. Sanctions. Failure by any party to comply in good faith with the
25 meet-and-confer requirement shall result in an order to show cause
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In the event that the Court sets an expedited deadline that does not allow the parties
28 to meet at least seven days before the motion is filed, the parties shall meet and confer
as soon as practicable; they are not excused from compliance with Local Rule 7-3.
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1 re sanctions—including, as appropriate, striking or denying the
2 motion, deeming the motion unopposed, and/or awarding monetary
3 sanctions.
4 b. Time for Filing and Hearing Motions. This Court hears civil motions
5 on Fridays at 8:30 a.m.
6 i. Holidays. If Friday is a court holiday, select another Friday.
7 Opposition or reply papers due on a Friday holiday may be filed
8 the following Monday.
9 ii. Closed Dates. Hearing dates are closed at least four weeks in
10 advance, and closed hearing dates are noted on Judge
11 Blumenfeld’s webpage. A motion filed on a closed hearing date
12 will be stricken or continued at the Court’s discretion. A party that
13 waits too long and files a motion to be heard on a date that turns
14 out to be unavailable risks having the motion stricken and not
15 considered at all.
16 iii. Non-Opposition. Failure to timely oppose a motion will likely
17 result in the motion being granted after the opposition would have
18 been due. See Local Rule 7-12 (failure to timely file “may be
19 deemed consent to the granting . . . of the motion”).
20 iv. Resolution. If the parties resolve the issue(s) presented in a
21 motion, by settlement or otherwise, the Court must be notified
22 immediately to avoid unnecessary judicial work.
23 c. Length, Footnotes, and Format of Motion Papers
24 i. Length. Unless otherwise expressly permitted, no supporting or
25 opposing memorandum shall exceed 7,000 words (or 25 pages,
26 double spaced, if handwritten), and no reply memorandum shall
27 exceed 4,000 words (or 15 pages, double spaced, if handwritten)—
28 excluding only indices and exhibits. Counsel shall certify
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1 compliance with the word count pursuant to Local Rule 11-6.2.
2 Good cause to extend these limitations will rarely be found. A
3 memorandum that exceeds the allowable length may be stricken.
4 ii. Footnotes. Use no more than eight footnotes in any supporting or
5 opposing brief, and no more than five footnotes in any reply.
6 Citations that support a statement in the main text should be
7 included in the main text, not in footnotes.
8 iv. Format. Use only 14-point Times New Roman font, including for
9 footnotes. Footnotes shall be separated by 12-point spacing.
10 v. Reply Briefs. The purpose of a reply brief is to respond succinctly
11 to the arguments in the opposition. A reply brief should not repeat
12 the background or legal standard contained in the motion and
13 should not repeat arguments except to the extent necessary to
14 respond to the opposition.
15 d. Citations to Authority. Any argument or statement of law not
16 supported by legal authority may be deemed waived or forfeited to the
17 extent allowed by law. The parties should comply with Bluebook
18 formatting and the citation requirements below.
19 i. Pin Cites. Case citations must identify both the case cited and the
20 specific page referenced.
21 ii. String Cites. Parties should not use string cites without a good
22 reason. When using string cites, a party should include a
23 parenthetical explanation for each cited case.
24 iii. Legal Databases. When citing to unpublished materials in legal
25 databases, cite to Westlaw (not Lexis) whenever possible.
26 However, parties that do not have access to Westlaw will not be
27 penalized for citing to other sources.
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1 iv. U.S. Statutes. Statutory references should identify with specificity
2 the sections and subsections referenced. Citations should be to the
3 relevant official statutory code (e.g., the U.S. Code) and should not
4 merely reference the popular name of an act.
5 v. Treatises, Manuals, and the Like. Citations to treatises, manuals,
6 and other materials should include the volume, section, and
7 relevant pages. Attach copies if these materials are not accessible
8 on Westlaw, especially for historical materials (e.g., older
9 legislative history).
10 7. SPECIFIC MOTION REQUIREMENTS
11 a. Motions Pursuant to Rule 12. Most motions to dismiss or strike,
12 especially motions raising alleged defects in a complaint, answer, or
13 counterclaim that could be corrected by amendment, can be avoided if
14 the parties confer in good faith as required by Local Rule 7-3. In general,
15 the Court will provide leave to amend upon granting a motion to dismiss
16 unless it is clear the complaint is not correctible. See Rosenberg Bros. &
17 Co. v. Arnold, 283 F.2d 406, 406 (9th Cir. 1960) (requiring “extreme
18 liberality” in favor of amendments). A good-faith meet-and-confer may
19 avoid this costly and inefficient process. If the plaintiff, counterclaimant,
20 or crossclaimant believes its pleading can be strengthened by adding facts
21 that would help it survive a pleading challenge, the better course is to
22 amend before the parties devote resources to briefing a motion. The
23 Court expects the parties to thoroughly discuss any proposed
24 amendments during their meet-and-confer and to agree to amendment if
25 doing so will avoid the need for serial motions. Otherwise, if the Ninth
26 Circuit’s “extreme liberality” standard applies to a meritoriously filed
27 motion, the Court may summarily grant leave to amend. If the Court
28 grants a motion to dismiss with leave to amend, the plaintiff must file an
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1 amended complaint within seven days, unless otherwise specified.
2 Failure to timely file an amended complaint will result in dismissal with
3 prejudice.
4 b. Motions to Amend Pleadings. A motion to amend the pleadings must
5 describe and state the effect of the proposed amendment and be
6 accompanied by a “redlined” version of the proposed amended pleading
7 indicating all additions and deletions to the prior version of the pleading.
8 Before the motion is filed, the redlined version must be delivered to
9 opposing counsel at least two hours in advance of the Local Rule 7-3
10 conference; and if the plaintiff later changes the delivered version,
11 counsel will be required to meet again about the revised pleading. In
12 addition to the requirements of the Local Rules, all amended pleadings
13 must be serially numbered to differentiate each amendment (i.e., “First
14 Amended Complaint,” “Second Amended Complaint” . . .).
15 c. Motions for Summary Judgment. Please refer to Judge Blumenfeld’s
16 Standing Order re Motions for Summary Judgment found on the Orders
17 and Additional Documents tab on Judge Blumenfeld’s webpage at
18 https://apps.cacd.uscourts.gov/Jps/honorable-stanley-blumenfeld-jr.
19 d. PLRA Exhaustion Motions. The issue of exhaustion under the Prison
20 Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) must be raised at the beginning of the
21 litigation. Albino v. Baca, 747 F.3d 1162, 1170 (9th Cir. 2014). A party
22 seeking to obtain a judicial determination of any material fact dispute
23 precluding summary judgment on exhaustion must file a request for a
24 hearing within 14 days of the filing of the order denying summary
25 judgment. The failure to file a timely request may be construed as a
26 waiver or forfeiture of the exhaustion issue.
27 e. Motions for Default Judgment. Unless the Court orders otherwise,
28 motions for default judgment shall be filed within 14 days after the later
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1 of (1) entry of default against the last remaining defendant or
2 (2) resolution of all claims against all defendants who have not defaulted.
3 The motion must include a showing of both subject-matter and personal
4 jurisdiction. See In re Tuli, 172 F.3d 707, 712 (9th Cir. 1999). A
5 plaintiff who moves for default judgment and wishes to seek attorney’s
6 fees and costs must include in the motion a properly supported request
7 for attorney’s fees and costs together with the motion for default
8 judgment. Failure to do so will result in the striking of any subsequent
9 motion for attorney’s fees and costs absent a showing of good cause. The
10 Court may vacate the hearing on a motion for default judgment if no
11 opposition is timely filed, and the notice of motion should so state.
12 Unless the Court orders otherwise, the movant must appear at the motion
13 hearing prepared to argue the motion and respond to any tentative
14 opinion even in the absence of an opposition.
15 f. Motions for Attorney’s Fees. A motion for attorney’s fees must be
16 supported by documentation of the billed hours for which the movant
17 seeks to recover fees. The movant shall additionally provide by email to
18 the CRD an Excel spreadsheet documenting the hours for which the
19 movant seeks recovery, using the format in the following example:
20 Date Name Position Task Category Hours Rate Amount
21 3/2/23 John Associate Researched choice MTD 0.7 $300 $210.00
Smith of law for motion to
22 dismiss
3/5/23 Jane Partner Spoke with client CC 0.2 $500 $100.00
23 Doe about medical
history
24 3/5/23 Jerry Paralegal Assembled case ADM 0.1 $150 $15.00
Roe folder
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If the parties use abbreviations in the category column (as in the example
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provided), they shall include a legend identifying the meaning of each
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abbreviation.
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1 g. Applications to Seal. If the Court has previously granted leave to seal a
2 particular exhibit, the parties need not file a new application to file that
3 exhibit under seal in connection with a new filing. The parties may
4 simply file the exhibit under seal together with a statement that the Court
5 has already permitted sealing of the exhibit, with a citation to the relevant
6 order.
7 h. Reports and Recommendations. Objections to a magistrate judge’s
8 report and recommendation, as well as responses to objections, shall be
9 limited to 10 pages absent leave of court.
10 8. MOTION HEARINGS
11 a. Remote Appearances. Remote appearances are not permitted absent
12 good cause shown in a declaration concurrently filed with the moving
13 papers or the opposition. Absent a concurrent filing, a party requesting to
14 appear remotely must submit a declaration establishing that the party is
15 unable to appear in person due to an unanticipated and unavoidable
16 emergency and that the request was made promptly upon learning of the
17 emergency. Instructions for remote appearance can be found on Judge
18 Blumenfeld’s webpage. Counsel appearing remotely are responsible for
19 ensuring that their equipment and the internet connection in the location
20 from which they will be participating are reliable and adequate for
21 uninterrupted video participation.
22 b. Submission without Argument. The Court may take a motion off
23 calendar if it concludes the decision will not benefit from oral argument.
24 c. Time. If oral argument is permitted, the parties will have a total of 20
25 minutes, divided equally between the sides, unless the Court states
26 otherwise. If the Court believes that the matter warrants less or more
27 time, it will advise counsel at the hearing.
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1 d. Tentatives. The Court often issues written tentative rulings and makes
2 them available on Judge Blumenfeld’s webpage the afternoon before the
3 hearing by 6:00 p.m. The purpose of the tentative ruling is to focus the
4 discussion at the hearing. No party shall file any written response to the
5 tentative ruling without leave of court. A tentative ruling does not
6 represent the final decision of the Court, and the parties are strictly
7 prohibited from filing it as an exhibit or otherwise in any case.
8 e. Oral Argument. If a tentative has issued, the parties should be prepared
9 to explain why the analysis is correct or incorrect. The Court often tests
10 its reasoning by asking questions and expects counsel to respond directly
11 and candidly.
12 f. Settlement. Counsel must notify the Court at least two weeks before the
13 scheduled hearing if the parties are conducting settlement discussions
14 that may render the motion moot and must notify the Court immediately
15 if a settlement is reached. A belated settlement notice wastes scarce
16 judicial resources and will subject the offending parties to sanctions—
17 and it may also result in the release of the tentative ruling.
18 g. Evidentiary Hearings. If the parties seek an evidentiary hearing on any
19 matter, they shall (1) notify the Court at the time of filing that they intend
20 to present evidence and (2) provide an estimate of the time required. No
21 later than seven days before the hearing, the parties shall file joint
22 witness and exhibit lists—including a list of challenged exhibits—that
23 comply with the requirements in the Court’s Civil Pretrial and Trial
24 Order. Failure to timely request an evidentiary hearing or to file the
25 required materials will be deemed a waiver of any right to an evidentiary
26 hearing.
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1 9. EX PARTE APPLICATIONS
2 A party seeking ex parte relief, including a temporary restraining order, must
3 comply fully with Local Rule 7-19.3
4 a. Notice. The applicant must (1) notify the other party (or parties) that
5 opposing papers are to be filed no later than 48 hours following service
6 or by 3:00 p.m. on the first court day after the service, whichever is later,
7 and (2) advise the Court in a declaration whether any party opposes the
8 application.
9 b. Submission. The application will not be considered until a chambers
10 copy has been provided. Once the application is submitted for decision,
11 the Court will rule on the papers unless it elects to set a hearing. Do not
12 contact chambers about the status.
13 c. No Tolling of Obligation. An application or stipulation does not serve
14 to toll, or relieve a party of, an underlying obligation (e.g., a soon-to-
15 expire deadline). Parties should not assume that an unopposed ex parte
16 application or stipulation will be granted; and a last-minute application or
17 stipulation that is denied may result in a party’s defaulting on the
18 underlying obligation.
19 10. CONTINUANCES
20 The Court grants continuances of pretrial and trial deadlines only on a timely
21 showing of good cause. The Court applies the same standard of good cause to all
22 extension requests—whether opposed, unopposed, or jointly requested.
23 a. Good Cause. Good cause requires a specific, detailed, and non-
24 conclusory showing of diligence from the outset of the case, describing:
25 (1) all relevant work previously done (including when each item was
26 completed), (2) all relevant work that remains to be done, (3) why the
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28 A party seeks ex parte relief when proceeding without a noticed motion, even if the
filing is improperly styled as a motion.
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1 remaining work could not previously have been done (including efforts
2 made to complete each remaining item), and (4) why the amount of time
3 requested is needed to complete the remaining work.
4 b. Diligence. The Case Management Order (CMO) that the parties will
5 receive following the MSC contains an attachment with information that
6 must be submitted in table form to show diligence. Diligence generally
7 will not be found when a party delays serving or pursuing written
8 discovery, engages in strategic staging of discovery or other tasks, or opts
9 for in-person depositions that prevent completion within the existing
10 deadline. The parties should plan to complete discovery far enough in
11 advance of the discovery deadline to allow for both the filing of a
12 discovery motion if necessary and the completion of any court-ordered
13 discovery. Moreover, a desire to engage in settlement discussions does
14 not constitute good cause to extend existing deadlines. The parties are
15 strongly encouraged to agree to exchange initial disclosures promptly and
16 to actively commence discovery before the MSC.
17 c. Proposed Order. The parties must complete and submit the CMO
18 Extension Order Template found at the “Orders & Additional
19 Documents” tab on Judge Blumenfeld’s webpage. Please follow the
20 highlighted directions at the end of the document. File the proposed
21 order and submit an electronic Word copy to Judge Blumenfeld’s
22 chambers email.
23 d. Denied with Prejudice. Denial of an extension request, including
24 summary denial, is with prejudice. The parties should therefore present
25 all available information showing that the outstanding discovery or other
26 litigation tasks cannot be completed within the existing deadlines despite
27 all reasonable diligence from the outset of the case. A party is not
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1 permitted to resubmit a denied extension request with additional
2 information that was previously available.
3 * * *
4 Failure to comply with the procedural requirements above—including the use
5 and proper completion of the table in the MSC Order attachment and the CMO
6 Extension template—may result in the extension request being stricken or
7 summarily denied. An improper resubmission of a denied extension request
8 may result in sanctions.
9 11. CLASS ACTIONS
10 The parties in a putative class action are to act diligently and begin discovery
11 immediately, so that the motion for class certification can be filed expeditiously. A
12 motion for class certification must be filed no later than 120 days from the date
13 initially set for the scheduling conference unless the Court orders otherwise.
14 12. ERISA CASES (BENEFIT CLAIMS)
15 The parties may receive an MSC Order as a matter of course. Because the
16 ordinary pretrial and trial schedule does not apply to ERISA cases that will be decided
17 on the administrative record, the parties need only submit a joint status report
18 identifying any special issues that should be considered, as described in § 3(d) of the
19 MSC Order. The parties should proceed with the preparation of the administrative
20 record and briefing without delay upon service of the complaint. If necessary, the
21 Court will hear motions to determine the standard of review, whether discovery will
22 be permitted, and the scope of the administrative record. Counsel are discouraged
23 from filing motions for summary judgment or partial summary judgment for a merits
24 determination. See Kearney v. Standard Insurance Co., 175 F.3d 1084, 1095 (9th Cir.
25 1999) (en banc) (noting the difference in procedures between Rule 56 and Rule 52).
26 A court trial, ordinarily limited to oral argument on the administrative record, will be
27 scheduled within six months from the filing of the original complaint, unless good
28 cause for additional time is shown in the status report. If the Court concludes that the
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1 decision would not benefit from oral argument, the matter may be submitted for
2 decision on the papers.
3 13. BANKRUPTCY APPEALS
4 Counsel must comply with the Notice Regarding Appeal from Bankruptcy
5 Court issued at the time the appeal is filed in the district court. The matter is deemed
6 under submission on the filing of the appellant’s reply brief. The Court considers
7 bankruptcy appeals on the papers and usually does not set these matters for hearing.
8 14. CONSENT TO MAGISTRATE JUDGE
9 The parties may consent to have a magistrate judge preside over the entire case,
10 including trial. The parties may choose any magistrate judge on the Voluntary
11 Consent List found on the Central District website. If the parties consent, they should
12 contact the courtroom deputy of the selected magistrate judge to confirm his or her
13 availability and, upon confirmation, promptly file a “Notice of Lodging of Consent”
14 along with Form CV-11D (Statement of Consent to Proceed Before a United States
15 Magistrate Judge, found at http://www.cacd.uscourts.gov/court-procedures/forms)
16 attached thereto. If the magistrate judge to whom the parties have consented becomes
17 unavailable after the case has been referred, the parties shall meet and confer in good
18 faith to select another magistrate judge on the Voluntary Consent List to preside over
19 the case.
20 15. SANCTIONS FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY
21 If, without satisfactory explanation, counsel fail to file the required joint Rule
22 26(f) report or the required pretrial documents, fail to appear at any scheduled
23 proceeding, or otherwise fail to comply with judicial orders or rules, the Court shall
24 take any action it deems appropriate, including: (1) dismissal of the case for failure to
25 prosecute, if the failure occurs on the part of the plaintiff; (2) striking the answer
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1 resulting in default if such failure occurs on the part of the defendant; (3) imposing
2 monetary sanctions against the offending party and counsel, and/or (4) where
3 applicable, revoking the pro hac vice status of attorneys so admitted.
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Date: January 14, 2026 ___________________________
6 Stanley Blumenfeld, Jr.
7 United States District Judge
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