UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
STANDING ORDER FOR CIVIL CASES BEFORE
DISTRICT JUDGE ARACELI MARTÍNEZ-OLGUÍN
(Revised November 14, 2025)
Parties shall comply with the Federal Rules of Civil or Criminal Procedure, the Northern District of
California’s Local Rules and General Orders, and this Standing Order, all of which are available at
http://www.cand.uscourts.gov. A party’s failure to comply with any of the rules or orders may be
grounds for monetary sanctions, dismissal, entry of judgment, or other appropriate sanctions.
A. COMMUNICATION WITH THE COURT
Counsel shall not attempt to contact Judge Martínez-Olguín or her chambers staff by telephone,
email, or any other ex parte means, but may contact her Courtroom Deputy, Alexis Solorzano-
Rodriguez, at
[email protected], regarding scheduling or other appropriate matters.
Before contacting the Courtroom Deputy, counsel must ensure that their inquiry is not otherwise
addressed by any Federal or Local Rule or any General or Standing Order of this Court.
B. SCHEDULING
Except in pro se prisoner cases, parties should notice motions (other than discovery motions)
pursuant to the Civil Local Rules. Parties should confirm the Court’s availability prior to filing any
noticed motion. See https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/judges/martinez-olguin-araceli-amo/. For
scheduling questions, please contact Judge Martínez-Olguín’s Courtroom Deputy, Alexis Solorzano-
Rodriguez, at
[email protected]. Noticed days may be reset as the Court’s calendar
requires, with order of call to be determined by the Court. 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. Any motion noticed for hearing on a closed hearing
date will automatically be re-set by the Court. Parties are reminded that their motions and case may
be resolved more quickly by consenting to proceed before a Magistrate Judge.
Civil motions are heard in person in Courtroom 10, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco,
California on Thursdays at 2:00 p.m.
Civil case management and status conferences are held in person in Courtroom 10, 450 Golden Gate
Avenue, San Francisco, California on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.
Pretrial conferences are held in person in Courtroom 10, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco,
California on Thursdays at 11:00 a.m.
Any changes to these default settings will be communicated by the Court via the case docket, public
calendar, and/or email correspondence. It is the parties’ responsibility to keep appraised of changes
to the Court calendar.
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No Continuance Without Court Approval. Parties may not continue a case management
conference, status hearing, pretrial conference, or any other deadline set by the Court without Court
approval. Any party seeking an extension of a court deadline must seek an extension at least seven
(7) days prior to the deadline by filing an appropriate motion or stipulation, in compliance with the
Civil Local Rules. Requests for extensions contained in a case management statement or brief will
not be entertained.
C. APPEARANCES AND ORAL ARGUMENT
1. In-Person Appearances. 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. Each party shall email Judge Martínez-Olguín’s Courtroom Deputy, Alexis Solorzano-
Rodriguez, at
[email protected], with a list of counsel who will be taking the lead
speaking role on behalf of a party, along with any other counsel who will be appearing for that party.
The list shall be emailed at least two (2) court days in advance of the scheduled proceeding. If
they so choose, litigants and lawyers may indicate their pronouns (e.g., she/her, he/him, they/their)
and honorifics (e.g., Mr., Ms., Mx., Dr.) by including the information in the list of counsel to be
emailed to the Courtroom Deputy.
2. Virtual Appearances. If all parties agree, they may request to have a setting by
Zoom video, but they must make their request at least one week in advance of the scheduled setting.
Such a joint request should be prepared and filed in the form of an Administrative Motion, in
compliance with Civil Local Rule 7-11. Absent agreement, requests to appear by video conference
may be entertained upon a compelling showing of good cause, and must also be filed at least seven
(7) days in advance of the scheduled setting. Requests submitted without a showing of good cause
and/or submitted fewer than seven days prior to the scheduled setting will likely face denial. If the
Court has approved a request to hold a setting by Zoom video, each party shall email Judge
Martínez-Olguín’s Courtroom Deputy, Alexis Solorzano-Rodriguez, at
[email protected],
with a list of counsel who will be taking the lead speaking role on behalf of a party, along with any
other counsel who will be appearing for that party. The list shall be emailed at least two (2) court
days in advance of the scheduled proceeding. If they so choose, litigants and lawyers may indicate
their pronouns (e.g., she/her, he/him, they/their) and honorifics (e.g., Mr., Ms., Mx., Dr.) by
including the information in the list of counsel to be emailed to the Courtroom Deputy.
3. Participation by Junior Lawyers. If a written request for oral argument is filed
before issuance of a ruling stating that a lawyer eight or fewer years out of law school will conduct
all or most of the oral argument, the Court will entertain in-person oral argument on the principle
that less experienced lawyers need more opportunities for appearances than they typically receive.
The Court strongly encourages parties to permit less experienced attorneys to actively participate in
the proceedings by presenting argument at motion hearings, examining witnesses at trial, or taking a
speaking role at case management conferences. The Court permits more than one attorney to present
on behalf of a party if this creates an opportunity for less experienced attorneys to participate.
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4. Format of Argument. Unless a case is particularly complex, each side is typically
allotted an initial five (5) minutes of oral argument, after which the parties should be prepared to
address any questions from the Court.
5. Demonstratives. The Court does not generally permit the use of demonstratives. If a
party would like to use audio-visual demonstratives during a hearing (e.g., PowerPoint presentation),
it shall file an administrative motion requesting leave to use demonstratives at least 14 court days
before the hearing.
D. CIVIL CASE MANAGEMENT
1. Case Management Conference Statements. By no later than noon, seven (7) days
before the initial case management or status conference, the parties shall file a Joint Case
Management Statement in full compliance with the Standing Order for All Judges of the Northern
District of California, a copy of which is available at
https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/judges/martinez-olguin-araceli-amo/. Updated joint case
management conference statements are required and must be filed by noon, seven (7) days in
advance of all other case management conferences. In cases involving litigants unrepresented by
counsel, the parties may file separate case management statements. Any case management statement
proposing a case schedule that contemplates cross-motions for summary judgment or Daubert
motions shall conform to the requirements set forth in Paragraphs E and G, below.
2. Appearance by Lead Trial Counsel Required. At the case management
conference, lead trial counsel shall attend on behalf of each party or, for parties unrepresented by an
attorney, the party shall attend. Counsel or unrepresented parties shall be (1) prepared to address all
matters referred to in the Northern District of California’s general standing order on Joint Case
Management Statements; and (2) have full authority to enter stipulations and make admissions
pursuant to that order.
3. Recordings and Transcripts of Court Proceedings. All hearings, case management
conferences, status conferences and pretrial conferences are audio recorded; court reporters are
usually not provided. Parties may request a copy of the audio recording (on CD), a transcription of
the audio recording, or the court reporter’s transcript if applicable by following the procedures set
forth at http://cand.uscourts.gov/transcripts.
E. MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT
1. One Motion Per Side. All issues shall be contained within one motion, which may
not exceed twenty-five pages in length, and shall conform to Civil Local Rule 7-2. Only one
summary judgment motion may be filed collectively per side, absent leave of court. Leave of court
to file more than one motion may be requested if multiple parties comprise one or both sides.
2. Evidence Submitted. Parties shall underline, highlight, or otherwise (e.g., by
hyperlink) specific lines of the documents and transcripts upon which they rely in support of or in
opposition to a motion.
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3. Cross-Motions. Parties anticipating cross-motions for summary judgment must
include a suggested briefing schedule in any proposed scheduling order that tracks the following
sequence:
• The initial moving party’s motion for summary judgment, not to exceed 25 pages.
• The opposing party’s combined cross-motion and opposition, not to exceed 25 pages.
• The initial moving party’s combined opposition and reply, not to exceed 15 pages.
• The opposing party’s reply, not to exceed 15 pages.
F. EXPERTS AND THEIR REPORTS
All witnesses who will provide expert testimony under Federal Rule of Evidence 702, 703, or 705,
whether retained or non-retained, must be disclosed and must provide written reports in compliance
with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(a)(2)(B). All expert reports shall number each paragraph to
facilitate any motion practice challenging the specifics of any opinions and shall include a table of
contents. The reports shall list each opinion to be proffered and provide an executive opinion of
each.
Any percipient witness who may also testify at trial with technical expertise akin to an independent
expert shall be identified by name no later than the date of expert disclosures to allow for deposition,
if necessary.
At the time of disclosure of a written report, the disclosing party must identify all written materials
upon which the expert relies in that report and produce those materials if they have not done so
previously.
G. DAUBERT MOTIONS
1. Limits. Each side is limited to three Daubert motions throughout the entire case
absent leave of court. Daubert motions must clearly specify the paragraphs or portions of the report
that the party seeks to exclude. Parties are reminded that issues going to the weight and credibility
to be given to a report are not proper bases to bring a Daubert motion. Daubert opening and
responsive briefs shall not exceed 5 pages. Replies shall not exceed 3 pages.
2. Sequence. Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, briefing on Daubert motions shall
trail the filing of a motion for summary judgment and commence with the filing of the non-moving
party’s opposition to summary judgment as set forth below. A party that anticipates filing a Daubert
motion must include a suggested briefing schedule in any proposed scheduling order that tracks the
following sequence:
• The initial moving party’s motion for summary judgment.
• Plaintiff’s opposition to motion for summary judgment and Daubert motion(s).
• Defendant’s reply in support of motion for summary judgment, Daubert motion(s),
and opposition(s) to Plaintiff’s Daubert motion(s).
• Plaintiff’s reply in support of Daubert motion(s), opposition to Defendant’s Daubert
motion(s).
• Defendant’s reply in support of Daubert motion(s).
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H. PLEADINGS AND DOCKETING
1. Amended Pleadings. If a party files an amended pleading, they shall concurrently
file a redlined or highlighted version comparing the amended pleading to the prior operative
pleading. Any amended pleading authorized by the Court must be filed as a stand-alone entry on the
docket.
2. Documents Filed on ECF. All exhibits to motions and/or discovery dispute joint
statements should be separately filed on ECF. For example, if the motion is Docket No. 30, and the
declaration with 10 exhibits is Docket No. 31, Exhibit A would be filed as Docket No. 31-1, Exhibit
B would be Docket No. 31-2, and so on. Electronically filed documents must be text-searchable
PDFs whenever possible.
3. Formatting Considerations. Use of footnotes in court filings shall be limited to
providing brief points of clarification or cross-references. Argument in footnotes will not be
considered by the Court. Footnotes must comply with the formatting requirements, including font
size and spacing, set forth in the Civil Local Rules. The Court may strike any filing that includes
excessive or improper footnotes. String citations without any analysis or descriptive parentheticals
contained in any court filing will be disregarded. Pincites to any materials in the record shall be as
particular as possible. Parties may not incorporate by reference prior arguments submitted in the
case. This practice creates substantial administrative burdens and may be construed as
circumventing page limits. The Court may strike any filing that improperly incorporates material by
reference.
4. Artificial Intelligence (AI). Counsel is responsible for providing the Court with
complete and accurate representations in any submission (including filings, demonstratives,
evidence, or oral argument), consistent with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11, the California Rules
of Professional Conduct, and any other applicable legal or ethical guidance. Use of ChatGPT or
other such tools is not prohibited, but counsel must at all times personally confirm for themselves the
accuracy of any content generated by these tools. At all times, counsel—and specifically designated
lead trial counsel—bears responsibility for any submission made by the party that the attorney
represents. Any submission containing AI-generated content must include a certification that lead
trial counsel has personally verified the content’s accuracy. Failure to include this certification or
comply with this verification requirement will be grounds for sanctions. Counsel is responsible for
maintaining records of all prompts or inquiries submitted to any generative AI tools in the event
those records become relevant at any point.
5. Pronouns and Honorifics. If they so choose, litigants and lawyers may indicate
their pronouns (e.g., she/her, he/him, they/their) and honorifics (e.g., Mr., Ms., Mx., Dr.) by adding
the information in the name block or signature line of the pleadings.
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6. Chambers Copies. Except for administrative motions or stipulations, chambers
copies of any filing must be provided within three (3) 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. All exhibits shall be clearly delineated with labels or tabs along the right side. If the filing
includes exhibits over two inches thick, the parties shall place the chambers copies in a binder. The
chambers copies shall be marked “Chambers Copy” and submitted to the Clerk’s Office, in an
envelope marked with “Judge Martínez-Olguín,” the case number, and “Chambers Copy.” If the
Court requires electronic copies of a filing, it will specifically request it from the parties. Parties
should not otherwise email
[email protected] with electronic copies of filings.
7. Motions to File Under Seal. Parties are reminded that court proceedings are
presumptively public, and no document shall be filed under seal without request for a court order
that is narrowly tailored to cover only the document, the particular portion of the document, or the
category of documents for which good cause exists for filing under seal. If a party wishes to file a
document under seal, that party shall first file an administrative motion to seal in accordance with
Local Rule 79-5 and include a proposed order which includes a chart in the following format:
Document Dkt. No. Dkt. No. of Dkt. No. of Party with Full or Brief Granted/
title or of unredacted decl. in burden to partial statement of Denied
description redacted version support of substantiate sealing reason for (leave
version sealing need to seal sought sealing (with blank)
citation to
corresponding
declaration in
support of
sealing)
Example: 34-2 35-2 35 Plaintiff If Sensitive
John Doe partial, portions of
Medical specify medical record
Records page and are unrelated to
line the claims.
numbers.
If parties are asked to provide chambers copies of documents filed under seal, the chambers copies
with confidential materials will be handled like all other chambers copies of materials without
special restriction, and will typically be recycled, not shredded. If the parties wish to dispose of
documents filed under seal in some other way, they must expressly indicate as much in their
sealing motion and make arrangements to pick up the documents upon disposition of the
motion.
I. CIVIL DISCOVERY
1. 2015 Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Parties should be
mindful of the December 1, 2015 amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and in
particular, the directive in Rule 1 that the Rules “should be construed, administered, and employed
by the court and the parties to secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action
and proceeding,” and the proportionality requirements for discovery under Rule 26(b)(1).
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2. Discovery Disputes Between Parties to the Case. Upon the development of an
impasse with respect to discovery in a pending case assigned to Judge Martínez-Olguín, the parties
must first meet and confer; that is, 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 and
attesting to their good faith meet and confer efforts. Issue-by-issue, the joint statement shall describe
each unresolved issue, summarize each party’s position with appropriate legal authority, and provide
each party’s final proposed compromise before addressing the next issue. It is preferable that the
parties file a separate statement for each dispute. Where necessary, the parties may submit
supporting declarations and documentation of up to 12 pages. Parties are expected to plan for and
cooperate in preparing the joint statement so that each side has adequate time to address the
arguments.
The parties are strongly encouraged to submit a joint statement, but in the rare instances
when a joint statement is not possible, each side may submit a statement of not more than two pages
(12-point font or greater).
The joint statement or individual statements shall be e-filed (unless the case is exempt from
e-filing requirements). Whether joint or individual, the statement must be filed under the Civil
Events category of “Motions and Related Filings > Motions – General > Discovery Letter Brief.”
Upon review of the parties’ submission(s), the Court will advise the parties of how the Court
intends to proceed. The Court may issue a ruling or schedule a videoconference with the parties, and
at such conference may issue rulings, order more formal briefing, or set further hearing dates. The
Court may also order the parties to come to the courthouse to meet and confer in good faith.
3. Discovery Disputes Between a Party and a Non-Party. For discovery disputes
involving non-parties (usually Federal Rule 45 disputes), the parties may utilize the procedure
identified above, provided the parties and non-parties agree to that procedure. Absent agreement,
the moving party should file a noticed motion pursuant to Local Rule 7. In either event, before the
dispute may be brought to the Court’s attention, lead trial counsel must meet and confer in person or
by videoconference.
4. Protective Orders/ESI Orders. Parties who seek a protective order or order
regarding discovery of electronically stored information (“ESI”) must, where practicable, use one of
the model stipulated orders available at https://cand.uscourts.gov/model-protective-orders or
https://cand.uscourts.gov/eDiscoveryGuidelines. Parties must file one of the following with any
proposed protective order or order regarding discovery of ESI: (a) a declaration stating that the
proposed order is identical to one of the model orders except for the addition of case-identifying
information or the elimination of language denoted as optional; (b) a declaration explaining each
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modification to the model order, along with a redline version comparing the proposed order with the
model order; or (c) a declaration explaining why use of one of the model orders is not practicable.
5. Privilege Logs. If a party withholds material as privileged under Federal Rule
26(b)(5) or 45(d)(2)(A), it must produce a privilege log as quickly as possible, but no later than
fourteen days after its disclosures or discovery responses are due, unless the parties stipulate to or
the Court sets another date. Privilege logs must contain the following: (a) the subject matter or
general nature of the document (without disclosing its contents); (b) the identity and position of its
author; (c) the date it was communicated; (d) the identity and position of all addressees and
recipients of the communication; (e) the document’s present location; and (f) the specific privilege
and a brief summary of any supporting facts. Failure to furnish this information promptly may be
deemed a waiver of the privilege or protection.
J. SECURITIES CASES
Within 14 days of service of the complaint (or consolidated complaint), the plaintiff shall file an
appendix summarizing the information required by 15 U.S.C. § 78u-4(b)(1) and (2), specifically
identifying the allegations in the operative complaint as follows: (a) each statement alleged to have
been false or misleading; (b) the speaker, date, and medium by which the statement was made;
(c) the reason(s) the statement was false or misleading when made; and (d) the facts alleged to show
that defendant(s) knew the statement false and/or misleading. The appendix should clearly identify,
by citation to the operative complaint, which statements or omissions are attributable to which
defendants, and for each such defendant, the facts alleged which give rise to a strong inference that
the defendant acted with the required state of mind at the relevant time. The appendix must strictly
adhere to the allegations in the operative complaint and may not include any new or supplemental
information or explanation. The appendix shall be organized in the following format, with
hyperlinks to any material contained in the pleadings:
Statement ¶ The False and Reasons Facts Giving Rise to a Strong
No. Speaker(s), Misleading Statements Inference of Scienter
Date(s), and Statements Were False
Medium and
Misleading
When Made
1. ¶ 10 When: [Direct [Summarize [Summarize arguments on
[date] quotation of arguments scienter with specific references
Where: the alleged on falsity to paragraphs in the complaint.]
[e.g. Press false and with specific
release] misleading references to
Speakers: statements.] paragraphs
[e.g. CEO] in the
complaint.]
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With its motion to dismiss, the defendant shall include a chart summarizing the bases for challenging
each statement, in the following format:
Statement ¶ The False and Not Well- Safe Harbor Opinion Puffery
No. Speaker(s Misleading Pleaded
), Date(s), Statements
and
Medium
1. ¶ 10 When: [Direct ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
[date] quotation of
Where: the alleged
[e.g. Press false and
release] misleading
Speakers: statements.]
[e.g.
CEO]
K. CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENTS
Any motion for preliminary or final approval of a class action settlement must address the respective
guidelines in the Northern District of California’s Procedural Guidance for Class Action Settlements,
available at https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/forms/procedural-guidance-for-class-action-settlements/,
in the order the guidelines are presented on the website.
As reflected in the Guidance, the Court will require a post-distribution accounting within 21 days
after the final distribution of settlement funds. In addition to the information contained in the
Guidance, the post-distribution accounting must discuss any significant or recurring concerns
communicated by class members to the settlement administrator or counsel since final approval, any
other issues in settlement administration since final approval, and how any concerns or issues were
resolved.
L. PARTIES UNREPRESENTED BY AN ATTORNEY
Parties representing themselves, without the assistance of a lawyer, should visit the webpage entitled
“Representing Yourself” available on the Court’s website at https://cand.uscourts.gov/pro-se-
litigants/. The page discusses the Court’s Legal Help Center which provides free assistance for
unrepresented parties over the phone. Parties can make an appointment by calling (415) 782-8982 or
emailing
[email protected].
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M. FAILURE TO OPPOSE
The failure of a party to file a memorandum of points and authorities in opposition to any motion
shall constitute consent to the granting of the motion.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Dated: November 14, 2025
ARACELI MARTÍNEZ-OLGUÍN
United States District Judge
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