District Judge Trina L. Thompson

Chambers Copy Requirements

The processing of unnecessary chambers copies wastes resources and burdens the court.  Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 5-1(d)(7), chambers copies should not be submitted unless required by the assigned judge’s standing order or specifically requested by the assigned judge. 

Civil Standing Order: Paper courtesy copies shall not be submitted unless the Court requests them. The Court may at times order the parties to provide digital courtesy copies of motions filings, including supporting documents, on portable media (e.g., a flash drive or CD).

Civil Pretrial and Jury Trial Standing Order:

Pretrial Filings: All courtesy copies must be marked with the ECF stamp (case number, document number, date, and page number) on the top of each page.  Unless otherwise ordered, the parties shall submit the following digital courtesy copies no later than noon the day after filing to the Clerk’s office on portable media (e.g., a flash drive of CD):

• Joint Pretrial Statement and Proposed Order;
• Proposed Jury Instructions;
• Proposed Voir Dire Questions;
• Proposed Verdict Forms; and
• Motions in Limine (No party filing a motion in limine should submit digital courtesy copies of their motions to the Court until the parties file their pretrial filings 14 days before the Pretrial conference.)
  The parties shall also submit the joint proposed pretrial statement and proposed order, and any proposed jury instructions, voir dire questions, verdict form(s), and statement of the case in Word format via email to Courtroom Deputy, Bhavna Sharma, at TLTPO@cand.uscourts.gov. 

Trial Filings: Unless otherwise ordered, at least seven days before trial, the parties must deliver three sets of all pre-marked exhibits in clearly labeled three-ring binders to the Clerk’s office, marked for the attention of the Courtroom Deputy, Bhavna Sharma.  The quality, condition, and labeling of the binders should be such that the Court can easily transport and review the binders’ contents.  Whenever possible, the spine of a binder should not be wider than three inches. 

Criminal Pretrial and Jury Trial Standing Order: Courtesy copies must be double-sided, three-hole punched at the left margin, and marked with the ECF stamp (case number, document number, date, and page number) on the top of each page.  These printed copies shall be marked “Chambers Copy – Do Not File” and shall be in an envelope clearly labeled with Judge Thompson’s name and the case number.  Exhibits to motions or declarations shall be side-tabbed and numbered or lettered.  If the documents filed exceed 50 pages including exhibits, the filing party shall submit courtesy copies in three ring binders.  Unless otherwise ordered, counsel shall submit two courtesy copies of the following filings:

• Trial Memorandum;
• Witness List (One extra courtesy copy of the witness lists and exhibit lists should be furnished to the court reporter.);
• Proposed Jury Instructions;
• Proposed Voir Dire Questions;
• Proposed Verdict Forms;
• Pretrial Statement;
• Motions in Limine; and
• Exhibits.  (Two sets of binders containing copies of the exhibits must be provided to the Clerk’s office in San Francisco five days before trial.  One should be marked “Chambers Copies” and the other as “Clerk’s Copies.”
  Each exhibit must be separated with a label divider identifying the exhibit number.  Each binder should bear a spine label indicating the numbers of the exhibits contained therein.)

 Counsel shall e-mail a copy of their (1) proposed jury instructions; (2) proposed voir dire questions; and (3) proposed verdict forms in Word format to Courtroom Deputy, Bhavna Sharma, at TLTPO@cand.uscourts.gov.

Delivery Address

About District Judge Trina L. Thompson

Born 1961 in Oakland, CA

Federal Judicial Service:

Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
Nominated by Joseph R. Biden on January 3, 2022, to a seat vacated by Phyllis Jean Hamilton. Confirmed by the Senate on May 18, 2022, and received commission on August 5, 2022.

Education:

University of California, Berkeley, A.B., 1983
University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, J.D., 1986

Professional Career:

Alameda County [California] Public Defender’s Office, 1986-1991; post-graduate law clerk, 1986-1987; assistant public defender, 1987-1991
Private practice, San Jose, California, 1991-1995
Private practice, Oakland, California, 1991-2000
Juvenile court commissioner, Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, 2001-2002
Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, 2003-2022
Lecturer, Ethnic Studies Department, University of California, Berkeley, 2014-2021
Adjunct professor, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, 2018-