Court Time

Have some time between classes? Why not walk to a nearby court to sit in on a case?

Here at UC Hastings we have a wealth of courts—trial and appellate, state and federal—within walking distance or a short BART ride away. Court Time is your source for information about current court proceedings in our vicinity and beyond.

Click below to find information, calendars, and directions to the many courts in our area.

• Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
• California Supreme Court
• California Court of Appeal
• United States District Court, Northern District of California
• State Trial Courts

Interested in listening to a hearing or learning about a case from the comfort of your laptop?

Go to our multimedia page for information on recorded oral arguments and transcripts from local courts, as well as courts from across the nation. We also have links to podcasts, legal blogs, and much more.

Help us make Court Time work

Information about cases is gathered from UC Hastings’ eyes and ears at local courts. If you know of an upcoming court hearing or trial of general interest, please e-mail courtime@uchastings.edu or call (415) 565-4676 to leave a message. Please be sure to include the dates, times, court (including judge, where relevant), and a brief description of the matter. Your questions or comments are also welcomed.

Is some fabulous advocate going to argue a motion? Let us know! Is a novel issue to be argued on appeal? or going to the jury? Is jury selection starting in a case where the process will be complex? Provide us with the details! We also want to post notice of garden-variety cases that are “textbook examples” of litigation in various fields - perfect for learning how the process works. (Although our “eyes and ears” will not be credited for their tips, if you are a court employee, paid or volunteer, please observe all professional responsibility requirements when contacting Court/Time).

Disclaimer (hey, we’re a law school!)

While we hope information here is accurate at the time of posting, court calendars can change, and cases often settle without much notice. Hearings are postponed. In other words, the listed information could be inaccurate. Appellate court calendars are much less likely to change than trial court calendars. Before heading to court, you may wish to check the San Francisco legal newspapers—either The Recorder or The San Francisco Daily Journal—for current docket information. Both newspapers are available in boxes in the Civic Center area of San Francisco and at the UC Hastings Law Library. The content of both of the legal newspapers’ websites are viewable by subscription only.

Or just wander over to the courts with the knowledge that you may have to observe something other than what you planned.