Court Rules
Judge John McHale
Judge

Judge John McHale

Individual Rules, Standing Orders & Policies

Rules last changed:
King County Superior Court

Limits & Logistics

Courtesy Copies

All filings

Court-wide
  • Chambers Drop Off

Deposition Designations

Court-wide
  • Email • As Directed In Pretrial Order

Filings >= 500 pages

Court-wide
  • Hand Delivery

Communication

Email

Chambers

mchale.court@kingcounty.gov
Scheduling
Phone
Court-wide

Chambers

SchedulingEmergenciesTechnical Issues
No status inquiries

No matching rules in this section

This judge does not list rules for this section yet.

Filing & Service rules

Electronic Filing Rules

Working copies of the parties' briefs and accompanying documents must be submitted via e-working copies or a delivery service of the party's choice.

All working copies, per LCR 7(b)(4)(F), of the parties' briefs and accompanying documents must be submitted through either e-working copies or a delivery service of your choice.

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Page 1 | Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

Filing Timing and Cure Windows

A working copy of the Note for Motion must be filed and provided within 48 hours after confirming a hearing date.

The Court requires that you must also file and provide a working copy of your Note for Motion within 48 hours after confirming a hearing date.

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Page 1 | Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

Working copies in support of or opposition to a noted motion must be provided no later than the day they are served on the opposing party (LCR 7(b)(4)(F)).

Per LCR 7(b)(4)(F), the parties are required to provide working copies in support of or opposition to the noted motion no later than the day they are to be served on the opposing party.

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Page 1 | Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

Working copies must be submitted at the same time they are due to be filed.

Working copies must be submitted when they are due to be filed.

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Page 1 | Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

Filing Bundling Requirements

Cross-motions and additional separately briefed dispositive motions must be separately scheduled with the court and may not be included in a response to a motion.

Any cross motion or additional (separately briefed) dispositive motion must also be scheduled with the Court. You may not include those as part of your response to a motion.

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Page 1 | Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

Pre-Motion Conference Requirements

Motions with oral argument (summary judgment, restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, and class certification) are heard on Fridays in one-hour calendar slots.

Motions with Oral Argument are heard on Fridays. This includes motions for Summary Judgment, motions for Restraining Orders, Preliminary Injunctions, and Class Certification hearings.

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Page 1 | Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

Email requests for a dispositive motion hearing must include the case name and cause number, counsel contact information, and the type of hearing with requested dates from the calendar; a first and second choice is recommended and the first choice is used unless unavailable.

Any email request for a dispositive motion hearing must include the following: Case name and cause number; Names, phone numbers and email addresses of all counsel; Type of hearing and date(s) requested from the available dates on the above calendar. It is helpful if you select a first and second choice. Your hearing will be set on your first choice unless it is no longer available.

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Page 1 | Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

Effective 9/1/2025, CR 12 motions to dismiss are heard without oral argument and the court will no longer schedule hearings on them, with the consideration timeline unchanged per LCR 12(d).

As of 9/1/2025, pursuant to a rule change, motions for dismissal pursuant to CR 12 are now to be heard without oral argument. The court will no longer schedule hearings on these types of motions. Please note the timeline for consideration has not changed and should be noted pursuant to LCR 12(d).

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Page 1 | Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

Each motion is allotted one hour for argument and ruling.

Each motion is allotted 1 hour for argument and ruling.

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Page 1 | Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

Chambers Communication Rules

After confirming all parties' availability, the moving party must contact the bailiff to confirm the date and must not note the motion until the bailiff sends back confirmation.

Once you have selected a date and confirmed all parties' availability, you must contact the bailiff to confirm the date is still available. DO NOT note your motion until the bailiff has sent back confirmation.

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Page 1 | Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

A moving party that elects not to proceed with a motion must immediately notify the court to strike the hearing (KCLCR 7(b)(4)(H)).

As there are hundreds of cases on the Court's caseload competing for limited motion availability, If the moving party elects for any reason not to proceed with the motion, that party shall notify the court to strike the hearing immediately, per KCLCR 7(b)(4)(H).

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Page 1 | Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

Parties must confirm the proposed hearing date with all opposing counsel and pro se parties before contacting the bailiff, and the court will not schedule the motion unless all parties have indicated availability.

Please select a date from this calendar and then check with all opposing counsel or pro se parties to make sure that the date works before contacting the bailiff, as this is required. Doing so reduces the need to reschedule hearings due to conflicts. The court will not schedule the motion unless all parties have indicated they are available.

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Page 1 | Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

Additional hearing time is available for multi-party or complex litigation, and the request must be made to the bailiff when scheduling.

The Court will provide additional time on hearings involving multi-party cases or complex litigation. Please advise the bailiff of your request when scheduling.

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Page 1 | Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

Hearing date requests must be made by emailing the bailiff at mchale.court@kingcounty.gov.

Requests for hearing dates are accepted by emailing the bailiff at mchale.court@kingcounty.gov.

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Page 1 | Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

Court-wide rules

Applies court-wide

These 44 rules apply across King County Superior Court. Where this judge's own standing orders above address the same topic, the judge's requirement controls.

Communication

All 15
  • Contact
    Email

    Parties must check with the Court before faxing or emailing documents or pleadings.

  • Contact
    Email to chambers

    Counsel/parties must jointly complete the Estimate of Witness Examinations form and email it to the bailiff at scott.court@kingcounty.gov as soon as possible.

  • Contact
    Email to chambers

    This policy governs only email communication with court staff and does not establish a preference for email over other forms of communication.

Filing Requirements

All 7
  • Applies to
    Estimate of witness examinations

    Time estimates on the form must be expressed in tenths of hours and the form must be totaled once completed.

  • Applies to
    Estimate of witness examinations

    Trial length estimates must assume 5 hours per full trial day and account for witness exams, jury questions in civil cases, opening and closing arguments, voir dire, and motions in limine.

  • Applies to
    Estimate of witness examinations

    Counsel must confer to determine cross-examination time estimates for each party's witnesses and jointly prepare the form.

Formatting

All 6
  • Documents must follow local court rules for pagination.

  • Format
    PDF

    The deposition designation process must begin with a PDF of the transcript because the final marked product will be in PDF format.

  • The moving party must highlight its deposition designations in a single particular color (e.g., yellow).

E-Filing

All 5
  • New cases and additional documents may be filed online, by mail, or in person at the Clerk's Office.

  • Applies to
    Estimate of witness examinations

    The Estimate of Witness Examinations form must not be filed with the clerk's office; it is submitted to the bailiff by email instead.

  • Applies to
    Pleadings

    Parties may email the courtroom to ask whether the judge will accept pleadings, jury instructions, legal memoranda, and similar documents as email submissions, with acceptance at the judge's discretion.

About Judge John McHale

Judge John McHale sits on the King County Superior Court, Washington's trial court of general jurisdiction for King County.

This judge's procedures are published through the court's general rules.

Common questions about Judge John McHale's rules

Does Judge John McHale require a pre-motion conference or letter before filing a motion?

Judge John McHale's rules set a pre-motion procedure for rule 12. Effective 9/1/2025, CR 12 motions to dismiss are heard without oral argument and the court will no longer schedule hearings on them, with the consideration timeline unchanged per LCR 12(d).

View ruleSource: page 1, section Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

How may parties contact Judge John McHale's chambers?

The rule addresses email communications with Judge John McHale's chambers. Parties must confirm the proposed hearing date with all opposing counsel and pro se parties before contacting the bailiff, and the court will not schedule the motion unless all parties have indicated availability.

View ruleSource: page 1, section Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

Does Judge John McHale require motion papers to be bundled?

No. The rule prohibits holding covered papers for bundling. Cross-motions and additional separately briefed dispositive motions must be separately scheduled with the court and may not be included in a response to a motion.

View ruleSource: page 1, section Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

Is electronic filing required before Judge John McHale?

Yes. Electronic filing is required for the covered filings. Working copies of the parties' briefs and accompanying documents must be submitted via e-working copies or a delivery service of the party's choice.

View ruleSource: page 1, section Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests

What filing deadlines apply to note for motion filings before Judge John McHale?

A working copy of the Note for Motion must be filed and provided within 48 hours after confirming a hearing date.

View ruleSource: page 1, section Dispositive Motions and Hearing Requests
Complete rules summary for Judge John McHale

Effective 9/1/2025, CR 12 motions to dismiss are heard without oral argument and the court will no longer schedule hearings on them, with the consideration timeline unchanged per LCR 12(d).

Motions with oral argument (summary judgment, restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, and class certification) are heard on Fridays in one-hour calendar slots.

Parties must confirm the proposed hearing date with all opposing counsel and pro se parties before contacting the bailiff, and the court will not schedule the motion unless all parties have indicated availability.

After confirming all parties' availability, the moving party must contact the bailiff to confirm the date and must not note the motion until the bailiff sends back confirmation.

Hearing date requests must be made by emailing the bailiff at mchale.court@kingcounty.gov.

A working copy of the Note for Motion must be filed and provided within 48 hours after confirming a hearing date.

Working copies in support of or opposition to a noted motion must be provided no later than the day they are served on the opposing party (LCR 7(b)(4)(F)).

Email requests for a dispositive motion hearing must include the case name and cause number, counsel contact information, and the type of hearing with requested dates from the calendar; a first and second choice is recommended and the first choice is used unless unavailable.

Each motion is allotted one hour for argument and ruling.

Cross-motions and additional separately briefed dispositive motions must be separately scheduled with the court and may not be included in a response to a motion.

Working copies of the parties' briefs and accompanying documents must be submitted via e-working copies or a delivery service of the party's choice.

Working copies must be submitted at the same time they are due to be filed.

A moving party that elects not to proceed with a motion must immediately notify the court to strike the hearing (KCLCR 7(b)(4)(H)).

Additional hearing time is available for multi-party or complex litigation, and the request must be made to the bailiff when scheduling.

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