Santa Clara Superior Court Pre-Motion Conference Requirements

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Sep 21, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

To reserve a hearing date, the moving party must meet and confer and follow the court's website procedure; only one date may be reserved per motion.

To obtain a law and motion hearing date in a case management department, the moving party must (a) meet and confer with the non-moving party or parties to identify mutually agreeable dates, and then (b) follow the procedure set forth on the civil law and motion section of the court’s website at https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov. Only one date may be reserved for any motion.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Sep 20, 2026CRITICAL

Parties to attorney fee disputes must meet and confer at the outset of the dispute.

Parties to attorney fee disputes shall meet-and-confer at the outset of the dispute.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Sep 21, 2026WARNING

Criminal cases

Counsel must meet and confer before each felony plea and misdemeanor pre-trial conference court appearance to discuss discovery, resolution proposals, collateral consequences, mitigation, and other case-disposition issues.

For felony plea and misdemeanor pre-trial conferences, counsel for the parties must meet and confer before each court appearance to discuss the exchange of discovery, proposals for early resolution, collateral consequences, mitigation materials, and any other issues that might impact case disposition.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 20, 2026WARNING

Civil cases

Substantive motions are usually not permitted before the motion for class certification.

The Court usually does not permit any substantive motions before the motion for class certification to avoid a one-way intervention issue. (See Fireside Bank v. Superior Court (2007) 40 Cal. 4th 1069, 1081).

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Sep 21, 2026INFO

All parties and attorneys must meet and confer pursuant to California Rules of Court Rule 5.98.

All parties and all attorneys must meet and confer pursuant to Cal. Rules, Rule 5.98.

Checked against the court's document on Sep 21, 2026INFO

Self-represented parties are exempt from meeting and conferring before DVPA restraining order hearings; where only one party is represented, counsel must obtain the self-represented party's consent before any meet and confer.

Self-represented parties are not required to meet and confer prior to a hearing seeking a Restraining Order under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act. If only one party is represented, counsel must ask the self-represented party if he or she consents to speak to the attorney for the other party before any meet and confer.

The quote is in the court's document. The summary is not checked yet.CRITICAL?

Required

Always ?

For all judicially supervised settlement conferences and long cause trials, parties are ordered present for the judicially supervised settlement conference or attorneys must have full settlement authority.

Summary: Parties must be present at judicially supervised settlement conferences, or attorneys must have full settlement authority.

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Civil cases

No discovery motions may be filed until the parties have meaningfully met and conferred AND met with the Court for an Informal Discovery Conference.

Summary: Discovery motions may not be filed until the parties have meaningfully met and conferred and met with the Court for an Informal Discovery Conference.

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Civil cases

Ex parte applications are discouraged except in unusual situations. All ex parte applications will be determined on the papers unless the Court orders otherwise. Strict compliance with CRC Rules 3.1200-3.1207 and the Court’s Local Rules is required.

Summary: Ex parte applications are discouraged except in unusual situations, will be decided on the papers unless the Court orders otherwise, and require strict compliance with CRC Rules 3.1200-3.1207 and Local Rules.

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Civil cases

Discovery meet and confer obligations require an actual conference (in-person, telephonic, or videoconference) between counsel.

Summary: Discovery meet and confer obligations require an actual conference between counsel, which may be in-person, telephonic, or videoconference.

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Civil cases

If a resolution is not reached, parties are required to have an Informal Discovery Conference (IDC) with the Court before filing any discovery motion, unless otherwise authorized by the Court.

Summary: If meet and confer does not resolve the dispute, parties must hold an Informal Discovery Conference (IDC) with the Court before filing any discovery motion, unless otherwise authorized by the Court.

The quote is in the court's document. The summary is not checked yet.CRITICAL?

Civil cases

Counsel and/or parties with full authority to resolve the discovery issue(s) must appear at the IDC unless excused by the Court.

Summary: Counsel and/or parties with full authority to resolve the discovery issues must appear at the IDC unless excused by the Court.

The quote is in the court's document. The summary is not checked yet.CRITICAL?

Civil cases

Before the hearing of any motion, petition or application, all counsel and parties representing themselves shall meet and confer in a good faith effort to eliminate the necessity of the hearing.

Summary: Before the hearing of any motion, petition, or application, all counsel and self-represented parties must meet and confer in good faith in an effort to eliminate the necessity of the hearing.

The quote is in the court's document. The summary is not checked yet.WARNING?

Civil cases

The conference is not for the purpose of hearing motions in limine.

Summary: Motions in limine are not heard at the pre-trial conference.

The quote is in the court's document. The summary is not checked yet.INFO?

Civil cases

The Court is eager to assist counsel when specific problems arise that may not require a formal motion. To arrange a conference with the Court when all counsel agree to the advisability of such a discussion, please contact the department to reserve a time for the conference.

Summary: Counsel may arrange an informal conference with the Court (when all counsel agree it is advisable) for problems that may not require a formal motion by contacting the department to reserve a time.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

Criminal cases

Except for cases assigned to one judge for all purposes, a Readiness Conference for cases on the Master Trial Calendar will be conducted on the court day immediately preceding the Master Trial Calendar or as designated by the Supervising Judge – Criminal. Privately retained counsel and a representative of the District Attorney, Public Defender, Alternate Defender, and Independent Defender are required to be present. For each case set on the Master Trial Calendar for the following Monday, trial counsel must notify the court of trial readiness at the Readiness Conference, including matters of attorney availability, compliance with Penal Code section 1054 and sections (A)(3) and (A)(4) of this rule (below), exhaustion of settlement negotiations between trial counsel, and preparedness to argue motions in limine and conduct jury selection without delay upon assignment to a trial department.

Summary: A Readiness Conference is required on the court day before the Master Trial Calendar, with trial counsel required to appear and notify the court of trial readiness.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

Criminal cases

Counsel must be prepared to participate in a Readiness Conference on the court day immediately preceding the Master Trial Calendar or as designated by the Supervising Judge – Criminal. Counsel must advise whether each party will be ready to proceed, whether a continuance under Penal Code section 1050 will be sought and any objections thereto, whether there are requests for remote testimony and any objections thereto, and whether interpreters are needed. Each party must also provide an updated and accurate time estimate for the hearing.

Summary: For Long Cause Preliminary Examinations, counsel must participate in a Readiness Conference on the court day immediately preceding the Master Trial Calendar and advise on readiness, requested continuances, remote testimony, interpreter needs, and a time estimate.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

Criminal cases

All cases shall have a mandatory and meaningful pretrial conference before being set for jury trial.

Summary: All cases must have a mandatory pretrial conference before being set for jury trial.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

To obtain a law and motion hearing date in a case management department, the moving party must (a) meet and confer with the non-moving party or parties to identify mutually agreeable dates, and then (b) follow the procedure set forth on the civil law and motion section of the court's website at https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov.

Summary: To obtain a law and motion hearing date, the moving party must meet and confer on mutually agreeable dates, then follow the court website's civil law and motion procedure.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.WARNING?

Civil cases

Parties to attorney fee disputes shall meet-and-confer at the outset of the dispute.

Summary: Parties must meet and confer at the outset of an attorney fee dispute.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.WARNING?

Except where contact between self-represented parties is prohibited by a Restraining Order, all parties and attorneys must confer in good faith no later than 10 calendar days before the scheduled JCC to resolve any remaining issues. If the issues are resolved, the parties must immediately notify the judicial officer assigned to the JCC and submit a stipulation for approval by the APJ.

Summary: All parties and attorneys must confer in good faith no later than 10 calendar days before the JCC, and must notify the judicial officer and submit a stipulation if issues are resolved.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.WARNING?

When objections are filed, the parties shall contact the evaluator within five calendar days of the filing of the objections to schedule a Meeting After Objections to discuss the objections before the CSC. The Meeting After Objections shall occur prior to the date of the CSC. If any party fails to cooperate in setting, or fails to attend, this Meeting after Objections, the Court at the CSC may sign the recommended orders and may order sanctions.

Summary: Parties must contact the evaluator within five calendar days of filing objections to schedule a Meeting After Objections, which must occur before the CSC, or face sanctions.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.WARNING?

Counsel must be prepared to participate in a Readiness Conference on the court day immediately preceding the Master Trial Calendar or as designated by the Supervising Judge – Criminal. Counsel must advise whether each party will be ready to proceed, whether a continuance under Penal Code section 1050 will be sought and any objections thereto, whether there are requests for remote testimony and any objections thereto, and whether interpreters are needed. Each party must also provide an updated and accurate time estimate for the hearing.