How to Locate the Time and Place of Local Court Trials and Hearings

This page is designed to help students find local court information. Hastings students may visit nearby courts to see criminal or civil jury trials, law and motion hearings, or oral arguments at the appellate level, either for a class assignment or for fun. Students can also visit Welcome to Court Time, UC Hastings College of the Law's web page containing links to court calendars.

In San Francisco county, most criminal jury trials are held at the Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant Street (Map Link). Courtroom information on individual criminal trials is not published in any newspaper or on the Internet. You will need to go to the courthouse and look at the master calendar outside of Courtroom 22 on the third floor, or in Room 101.

There are a few criminal jury trials held each week in the Civic Center Courthouse at 400 McAllister Street. These trials are usually held in Departments 622, 624, and 001; information on scheduling can be found at the end of the listings for San Francisco Superior Court in The Recorder. The current edition of The Recorder is available at the Circulation Desk in the First Floor Library. Before going to court, it is probably a good idea to call the courtroom clerk to find out if the trial is still scheduled or if it has been settled. In The Recorder, the courtroom clerk's phone number is listed for each court department right below the judge's name, or you can find the number online at the court website.

The Recorder lists the times and locations of jury trials, probate motions, discovery motions, law and motion hearings, and writs and receivers motions. If you want to see a civil trial, call the courtroom clerk to find out if the trial is still scheduled, or if it has been settled. Telephone numbers can be located in The Recorder listing for each department, or you can find the number online at the court website.

Calendar information on oral arguments taking place in the First Appellate District courtroom at 350 McAllister Street is available at http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov. Select "First Appellate District" from the top of the right hand menu, and then click the Calendar button.

When the Supreme Court is sitting in San Francisco, hearings are held at 350 McAllister Street. The calendar will be posted at http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/calendars.cgi. Just choose Supreme Court from the drop-down menu and click the Calendar button.

Courtroom and time information on both criminal and civil jury trials, and on status and case management conferences is available online at
http://www.cand.uscourts.gov/cand/calendar.nsf/Calendars?OpenView. Calendar information is also available in The Recorder. The current edition of The Recorder is in the magazine rack by the Circulation Desk. If you are going to see a trial, it is a good idea to call the courtroom clerk to find out if the trial is still scheduled or has been settled. Telephone numbers can be located online at the court website or in The Recorder.

The calendar for the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is available online (for each judge) at http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/. Click the calendar link on the right. The calendar is also kept in a two-ring clipboard at the Reference Desk.

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Last updated March 10, 2006
Prepared by Reference Librarian