Calendar:
- Civil Motions:
Mondays at 10:00
- Criminal Motions:
Mondays at 1:30
Telephonic Appearances: The Court will permit appearances by telephone for all status conferences, scheduling conferences, and oral argument on motions. If you wish to appear by telephone, you must:
(i) notify the clerk at least two days in advance of the scheduled appearance;
(ii) provide the clerk with the telephone number at which the Court can reach you;
(iii) agree to be available at that number (land lines only; no cellular phones) for up to one hour from the time of the scheduled hearing.
Holidays: If Monday is a holiday, motions will be heard the following Monday. Motions will not be set on Tuesday following a Monday holiday.
Motions: It is not necessary to clear a date with the court clerk prior to filing a motion. It is not necessary to lodge depositions in support of motions for summary judgment. Please include your fax number on all documents.
a) Filing: It is not necessary to clear a date with the court clerk prior to filing a motion. However, you must first click on the link at the top of the page to view closed motion dates. It is not necessary to lodge depositions in support of motions for summary judgment.
b) Motion Briefing Schedule: Motions will be heard two weeks after the deadline for filing Reply documents. Therefore, Motion papers are to be filed and served no later than 28 days before the hearing date; Opposition papers are to be filed and served not later than 21 days before the hearing date, and any Reply papers are to be filed and served not later than 14 days before the hearing date.
Discovery: All discovery motions are to be calendared before the magistrate judge.
Tentatives: The Court makes every effort to issue a tentative ruling one or two court days prior to oral argument. If there is a tentative ruling, it will be posted on the Court's web site. If you wish to waive oral argument and submit on the tentative decision, please call opposing counsel and then notify the courtroom deputy, Alicia Mamer, at 213-894-1782.
Ex Partes: Ex Parte applications are taken under submission on the papers. Counsel will be notified of the court’s ruling. If oral argument is necessary, the court clerk will notify counsel of the date and time of hearing. If the application is opposed, opposing counsel must notify the clerk and e-file its opposition within two days. The mandatory chambers copy of the opposition must be delivered to the Court on the same day it is e-filed. All ex parte applications should include a proposed order.
Continuances: If both sides are seeking a continuance of any scheduled court proceeding, counsel must file a stipulation and proposed order and notify the clerk telephonically.
Telephone contact: Parties shall first check the case docket and/or Master Calendar before calling the court clerk, Alicia Mamer, to inquire about the status of a motion, stipulation, proposed order, or hearing date. Counsel are not to telephone either the judge’s secretary or the judge’s law clerks.
Electronic equipment: Contact the Help Desk at 213-894-1400 to arrange to borrow court’s equipment. If counsel would like to arrange to bring in their own electronic equipment, they should submit a proposed order for the Judge’s signature to the chambers mailbox and call Alicia Mamer, to advise of the request.
Transcripts: To obtain a transcript of any reported or digitally recorded proceeding, please contact the assigned court reporter/recorder. To determine the court reporter/recorder for a particular proceeding, go to the Court Reporter Schedule web page and click on View by Date. Once you've determined the correct court reporter/recorder for the desired session, click on Court Reporter Phone and Email List for contact information.
Law Clerks/Externs: Questions concerning law clerk or extern positions with the judge should be directed to the judge’s secretary at 213-894-2147.
Trial Orders: Trial orders are generated after the scheduling conference has been held. The trial orders set case management deadlines, pre-trial conference dates, and trial dates. Examples of orders setting court and jury trials are attached.
Trial:
- Hours:
Trials are conducted Tuesday through Friday each week, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with two 15-minute breaks, and no lunch break.
Exhibits: Two copies of tabbed exhibit binders are to be submitted to the court on the first day of trial, with each volume labeled, along with three copies of exhibit lists.
Witness Lists: Three copies of witness lists, in the order in which witnesses are expected to be called, must be submitted to the court on the first day of trial.
Mini Opening Statements: In civil cases, on the first day of trial, one attorney for each side is to deliver a mini-opening statement to the prospective jury panel before jury selection begins. Each statement is to be no more than five minutes in length.
Jury Instructions: Fourteen days prior to trial, counsel are to submit a joint set of agreed-upon instructions, along with proposed instructions to which there is objection. Points and Authorities in support of objections are to be filed 7 days prior to trial. Failure to timely submit jury instructions will be deemed a waiver of jury trial.
Interpreters: It is the responsibility of counsel in a civil case to arrange for the services of an Interpreter. The Interpreter’s Office may be reached at 213-894-4599.
Settlement Conferences: Counsel are required to comply with Local Rule 16, concerning Mandatory Settlement Procedures.
Settlement: Please notify the court clerk as soon as a settlement of your case has been reached.
Other Information: Counsel are directed to comply with all Local Rules. If counsel have received a Notice to Parties of ADR Pilot Program (form ADR-08 or ADR-11) with attached Pilot Program Questionnaire (ADR-09), please see the section on the Central District Court’s website entitled ADR for further information. The ADR section also contains Attorney Settlement Officer information.
Electronic Filings: Counsel shall e-file all criminal and civil filings for JUDGE COOPER pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 5(d)(3), Local Rule 5-4, and General Order 08-02, as follows:
Step 1: All non-signature items shall be E-FILED in pdf format. All proposed signature items shall be E-FILED as an attachment to the main document in pdf format.
Step 2: All proposed signature items shall be E-MAILED to the chambers email address at fmc_chambers@cacd.uscourts.gov [fmc(underscore)chambers@cacd.uscourts.gov] in Word or Word Perfect format. ONLY proposed signature items should be emailed to the chambers’ email address. Please do NOT email other associated documents, and do NOT use this email address for communication with the Court or the Clerk.
Step 3: Step 3: A MANDATORY CHAMBERS COPY of all e-filed documents shall be delivered to the DROP BOX OUTSIDE THE CLERK'S OFFICE IN THE ROYBAL FEDERAL BUILDING (FIRST FLOOR, SUITE 181-L) no later than 12:00 noon the business day following any electronic filing or on the same day, if priority processing is being requested. They must comply with Local Rule 11-3 and be blue-backed, proper font size, page numbering, tabbing, etc. Each document must be prominently labeled, "CHAMBERS COPY" on the front page. All copies delivered to the courtesy bin shall have the notice of E-filing attached to the back of the document. DO NOT PLACE THESE COPIES IN ENVELOPES.
DO NOT OMIT ANY OF THE ABOVE STEPS.
FOR UNDER SEAL FILINGS
Process documents the traditional way (ORIGINAL PLUS ONE COPY OF EACH UNDER SEAL ITEM AND AN ENVELOPE FOR EACH ITEM, UNSEALED), but attach Notice of Manual Filing. DO NOT DELIVER MANDATORY CHAMBERS COPIES. DO NOT SEND THESE DOCUMENTS TO THE CHAMBERS EMAIL ADDRESS.
For additional questions, please refer to the General Orders or call the help line at 213-894-0242. |