Oral Arguments. Arguments continue to be conducted as scheduled, with all counsel appearing remotely by video or telephone. Fully remote hearings will continue through December 2021, but we expect to reopen the courtrooms to fully vaccinated attorneys and self-represented litigants in January 2022. Until further notice, counsel and parties will continue to have the option to appear remotely. Click here for in person hearing protocols and more information. Panels will continue to exercise their discretion under the rules to submit cases without argument; to postpone argument to a later date; or to hold argument via video. When argument is held, it will be live streamed to facilitate public access.
Access to the Courthouses. Until further notice, our courthouses remain closed to the public. When in person hearings resume in January 2022, only those attorneys and parties who are scheduled to appear for oral argument or other court meeting or event, and who provide proof of their vaccination status, will be permitted in the courthouses. Attorneys and parties who have access to CM/ECF are strongly encouraged to use it for everything, including new petitions for review and original proceedings. If unrepresented litigants have access to email, they are encouraged to submit their filings, including petitions for review and all other pleadings, as PDF attachments, directly to the Court at this email address: prose_pleadings@ca9.uscourts.gov. We also have a drop box in the lobby of the Browning Courthouse at 95 Seventh Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, and the Court continues to receive filings sent via U.S. Mail or commercial delivery services.
Court Hours & Staffing. Because we continue to have limited staff available in the courthouses to answer phone calls, we continue to accept and encourage that queries be sent by email to: questions@ca9.uscourts.gov. We will do our best to prioritize incoming filings and questions, but there might be some delay in responding.
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