Federal Courts District Update – April 2024

For more federal courts content, please see the Quarterly Federal Courts Committee Newsletter. This quarter’s newsletter includes an interview with United States District Judge Rita F. Lin.

We are looking for two new members to join our Federal Courts Committee. If you are interested, please apply here or email Committee Chair Jenn French for more information.

Southern District of California

Release of the Pretrial Services Report:  The Clerk’s Office will make available a filing option on CM/ECF for the confidential filing of the U.S. Pretrial Services bail report.  Each pretrial services report will be made available to the attorney for the accused and the attorney for the Government (GO 758)

History Committee: The Court appointed several individuals to the Court History Committee. (CJO #2-F)

Central District of California

New District Judge Sworn In: The Honorable Mónica Ramírez Almadani has been sworn in as a District Judge for the Central District of California.  Before her confirmation, she served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the pro bono firm Public Counsel (2021 – 2023).  She previously served as a visiting clinical law professor and co-director of the Immigrant Rights Clinic at UC Irvine School of Law (2019 – 2021) and as Special Counsel at Covington & Burling LLP (2017 – 2019).  She also served in various roles at the U.S. Department of Justice, including an Assistant United States Attorney in the Central District of California. Judge Ramírez Almadani will preside over matters in the Court’s Western Division in Courtroom 10B of the U.S. Courthouse located at 350 W. First Street in Los Angeles.  Judge Ramírez Almadani was confirmed by the Senate on November 9, 2023.  (Judge Ramírez Almadani’s Procedures; Press Release.)

New District Court Executive and Clerk of Court: Brian D. Karth has been appointed as District Court Executive and Clerk of Court for the United States District Court for the Central District of California.  (Press Release.)

Eastern District of California

Magistrate Judge Kim Appointed: On March 29, 2024, former Federal Courts Committee Member Chi Soo Kim was appointed to be a United States Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.  Judge Kim fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Chief Magistrate Judge Kendall J. Newman on February 7, 2024.  She will sit in Sacramento.  Magistrate Judge Kim has nineteen years of experience as a lawyer in both the public and private sectors.  For the past eleven years she has served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office – Eastern District of California, Sacramento office.  She has been active in civics education outreach efforts to high school students across the Eastern District and has taught legal courses at U.C. Davis School of Law and U.C. Law San Francisco (formerly U.C. Hastings). Link.

Northern District of California

Judges: On March 20, 2024, the Senate confirmed the Honorable Eumi K. Lee as a United States District Judge for the Northern District of California to fill a seat vacant since Judge William H. Orrick assumed senior status. Judge Lee had most recently served as a Superior Court Judge in Alameda County. More details regarding Judge Lee’s appointment and biography are available here. Judge Lee will maintain chambers in San Jose.

Public Comment: The Northern District is seeking comment regarding proposed amendments to its Civil Local Rules regarding remote access to court proceedings. The proposed amendment is available here; comments should be submitted to media@cand.uscourts.gov. The deadline to submit comments is April 18, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.