Santa Clara Superior Court Document Format Requirements

Letter briefs are not acceptable; briefs submitted for informal Court conferences must be on court pleading paper.

In these instances “letter briefs” are not acceptable, but briefs on court pleading paper not exceeding 6 pages may be submitted.

Format

DOCX

Proposed jury instructions must be submitted in Word format and, when reasonably possible, should mark up the official version rather than being retyped.

Submit proposed instructions in Word format. When reasonably possible, mark up the official version rather than retyping so the changes are apparent to the Court and other counsel.

The Courtroom Clerk marks exhibits in chronological order as they are identified, and counsel must not pre-mark exhibits.

Exhibits will be marked by the Courtroom Clerk, as they are identified, in chronological order. Exhibits shall not be pre-marked by counsel.

Exhibits should not be attached to briefs submitted for informal Court conferences unless absolutely necessary.

(Exhibits should not be attached to the brief unless absolutely necessary.)

Exhibits should not be attached to the Informal Discovery Conference brief unless absolutely necessary.

(Exhibits should not be attached to the IDC unless absolutely necessary.)

Witness lists must list witnesses last name first, with titles (e.g., Dr., Officer) placed after the comma following the last name so the lists sort correctly.

Witnesses should be listed last name first. Titles (e.g. Dr., Officer) should be placed after the comma following the last name. This is so that lists can be sorted correctly.

Counsel—primarily plaintiff, though not exclusively—must provide 'clean' sets of jury instructions (containing only the text of the instruction as corrected) in binders for possible use by the jury.

The Court may send multiple "clean" sets of instructions provided by counsel into the jury room. "Clean" means just the text of the instruction, as corrected. Plaintiff has the primary, but not exclusive, responsibility to provide the "clean" sets, in binders.

Large exhibits and transparencies normally are not admitted and must be accompanied by an 8½ x 11 tagged version, models should be photographed if proposed as exhibits, and counsel should discuss these evidentiary issues with opposing counsel.

Enlargements and transparencies normally will not be admitted into evidence. Any large exhibit or transparency should be accompanied by an 8½ x 11 version to which the exhibit tag is attached. Models, etc. should be photographed if proposed as exhibits. Be sure to discuss evidentiary issues of this nature with opposing counsel.