Judge Lisa J. Cisneros
Limits & Logistics
Document Limits
Courtesy Copies
Filings (>50 pages)
Required
Filings (All filings)
Required
Adjournments
Must Include
- 1Reason For Request
- 2Adversary Position
Must Include
- 1Counter Propose Alternative Date
Communication
Phone
Chambers
Chambers
Chambers
Chambers
Chambers
Chambers
Detailed Drafting Rules
Settlement conference statement limited to 10 pages, exhibits to 20 pages
The settlement conference statement shall not exceed ten pages of text. Parties are encouraged to include as exhibits any key documents and deposition excerpts. The exhibits to the settlement conference statement shall not exceed twenty pages.
Confidential settlement letter limited to 5 pages
The confidential settlement letter, not to exceed five pages of text, must include the following:
Parties must notify chambers immediately if case settles before settlement conference.
The parties shall notify chambers immediately at (415) 522-4020 if the case settles prior to the date of the settlement conference.
Phone
Direct to: Chambers
- Status Inquiries
Chambers copies required for filings over 50 pages that require court action.
Chambers copies are required only for filings that necessitate action by the Court and exceed 50 pages inclusive of supporting declarations and exhibits.
Courtesy Copies Required
Logistics
Chambers copies must include PACER/ECF header and judge's initials.
Chambers copies must bear the PACER/ECF header (with case number, docket number, date, and page number) and be clearly marked with the judge’s initials (LJC) and the designation “Chambers Copy.”
[Object Object]
Filings must be bound; exhibits must be tabbed; thick filings need binders.
Filings must be bound at the top or side; voluminous filings (those over two inches in thickness) should be placed in binders. Exhibits must be tabbed.
[Object Object]
Proposed order email address only for civil cases.
This email address is to be used only for civil proposed orders unless otherwise directed by the Court.
Direct to: Chambers
- DescriptionOnly for civil proposed orders unless otherwise directed
- Status Inquiries
Summary judgment motions limited to 25 pages per side.
Absent prior leave of Court, the parties are limited to filing one summary judgment motion per side, not to exceed 25 pages in length.
Joint letters must be filed in ECF under specific category, in text-searchable PDF, max 5 pages, 12pt font, 1-inch margins.
Joint letters must be filed in ECF under the Civil Events category of Motions and Related Filings > Motions: General > Discovery Letter Brief. Joint letters shall be in text-searchable PDF format and shall not exceed five pages (12-point font or greater; margins no less than one inch) without leave of the Court.
Joint letters limited to 5 pages, 12pt font minimum, 1-inch margins minimum.
Joint letters shall be in text-searchable PDF format and shall not exceed five pages (12-point font or greater; margins no less than one inch) without leave of the Court.
Discovery exhibits limited to 25 pages without leave of court.
The parties shall submit one exhibit that sets forth each disputed discovery request in full, followed immediately by the objections and/or responses thereto. No other information shall be included in the exhibit. An additional set of exhibits is allowed for declarations or other documents relevant to the discovery dispute. Such exhibits shall not exceed twenty-five pages without leave of the Court.
Emergency discovery disputes require email to ljccrd@cand.uscourts.gov before calling courtroom deputy.
In emergencies during discovery events (such as depositions), any party may, after exhausting good faith attempts to resolve disputed issues, seek judicial intervention pursuant to Civil L.R. 37-1(b) by contacting the Court through the courtroom deputy. Before calling, the parties must first send a short email describing the nature of the dispute to ljccrd@cand.uscourts.gov.
Direct to: Chambers
- Advance Notice Requiredemail_before_call
Communication with Judge Cisneros or staff generally prohibited except through ECF filings or open court
Except as otherwise permitted by this Standing Order or by another order of the Court, parties and attorneys should not communicate with Judge Cisneros or her staff (including the Courtroom Deputy) about a case except in open court (including remote video proceedings) or through filings in the ECF docket.
Contact Method
- Status Inquiries
Administrative clarification requests may be emailed to Courtroom Deputy with opposing counsel copied
Requests for clarification of purely administrative matters (e.g., if a motion previously set for a hearing does not appear on the Court’s public calendar) may be directed to the Courtroom Deputy at ljccrd@cand.uscourts.gov, with opposing counsel cc’d.
Direct to: Chambers
- Advance Notice Requiredopposing_counsel_cc
Emergency contact allowed via email or phone to Courtroom Deputy
In an emergency, such as an individual’s inability to make a scheduled appearance due to last-minute factors beyond their control, counsel or parties may attempt to contact the Courtroom Deputy at ljccrd@cand.uscourts.gov or (415) 522-2043.
Civil pretrial conferences are held Fridays at 1:30 PM.
Civil pretrial conferences are heard on Fridays at 1:30 p.m.
Direct to: Chambers
- HoursFridays at 1:30 PM
Motions in limine must be jointly filed (max 24 pages), with opposition (max 24 pages) due 7 days later.
(f) Motions in Limine. Any motions in limine that could not be settled at the pretrial meeting shall be filed with the pretrial statement. All motions in limine shall be contained within one jointly filed document, limited to twenty-four pages, with each motion listed as a subheading. Opposition to the motions in limine shall be contained within one document, limited to twenty-four pages, with corresponding subheadings, and filed seven days thereafter.
Joint proposed jury instructions required with table of contents; disputed instructions marked and argued separately; must email to ljcpo@cand.uscourts.gov in Word format.
instructions 1.2 through 1.21, 2.1 through 2.13, and 3.1 through 3.3 from the Manual of Model Civil Jury Instructions for the Ninth Circuit (most recent edition) will be given absent objection. Counsel shall jointly submit one set of additional proposed jury instructions, to which they have agreed at the pretrial meeting. The instructions shall be ordered in a logical sequence, together with a table of contents. Any instruction that is based on a form or model instruction (including but not limited to Ninth Circuit model jury instructions and Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions (CACI)) must indicate the number of the form instruction and any alterations made by the parties. Any instruction on which counsel cannot agree shall be marked as “disputed,” and shall be included within the jointly submitted instructions and accompanying table of contents, in the place where the party proposing the instruction believes it should be given. Argument and authority for and against each disputed instruction shall be included as part of the joint submission, on separate pages directly following the disputed instruction. The parties shall email to ljcpo@cand.uscourts.gov a copy of their proposed jury instructions in Word format. The subject of the email should include the case name, the case number and a description of the document.
Document Type