Temporary Judge Program

The Presiding Judge may not appoint an attorney to serve as a Temporary Judge unless the attorney has been admitted to practice as a member of the State Bar of California for at least 10 years before the appointment. However, for good cause, the Presiding Judge may permit an attorney who has been admitted to practice for at least five years to serve as a Temporary Judge.

Conditions for Appointment by the Court
The Presiding Judge may appoint an attorney to serve as a Temporary Judge only if the attorney has met the following minimum requirements:

• Is an active member in good standing of the State Bar and has no disciplinary action pending;
• Has not pleaded guilty or no contest to a felony, or has not been convicted of a felony that has not been reversed;
• Has satisfied the education and training requirements;
• Has satisfied all other general conditions that the Court may establish for appointment of an attorney as a Temporary Judge in that Court; and
• Has satisfied any additional conditions that the Court may require for an attorney to be appointed as a Temporary Judge for a particular assignment or type of case in that Court.

NOTE: Consistent with CRC Rule 2.818 Temporary Judges have an ongoing duty to report any disciplinary action pending or taken against them by the State Bar of California at least two court days before arriving to serve as a Temporary Judge.

The Court's Temporary Judge Program invites interested attorneys who have been members of the California State Bar for at least 10 years to download and submit the Temporary Judge Application form. Upon completion of the application, you may submit the application in one of the following manners:

• Fax completed application to: (415)551-5701
  Attention: Temporary Judge Program
• Email the completed application to: Rexanne Biserra
• Mail completed application(s) to:
  Temporary Judge Program
  400 McAllister Street #205
  San Francisco, CA 94102

The Presiding Judge may appoint an attorney to serve as a Temporary Judge only if the following minimum training requirements are satisfied:

Mandatory Training in Ethics

Before appointment, the attorney must have attended and successfully completed at least three hours of training on the subjects identified in rule 2.813(b) approved by the Court in which the attorney will serve. This course may be taken by any means approved by the Court, including in-person, or online.

Substantive Training

Before appointment, the attorney must have attended and successfully completed a course on the substantive law in each subject area in which the attorney will serve as a Temporary Judge. These courses may be taken by any means approved by the Court, including in person, by broadcast, or online. The substantive courses have the following minimum requirements:

Small Claims

• An attorney serving as a Temporary Judge in Small Claims cases must have attended and successfully completed at least three hours of training on the subjects identified in rule 2.813(c) and approved by the Court in which the attorney will serve.
• An attorney serving as a temporary judge in Small Claims cases must complete one full day of shadowing in the Small Claims Department with the Small Claims Commissioner.

Traffic

• An attorney serving as a Temporary Judge in Traffic Departments must have attended and successfully completed at least 3 hours of training on the subjects identified in rule 2.813(d) and approved by the Court in which the attorney will serve.
• An attorney serving as a Temporary Judge in Traffic Departments must complete one half-day of shadowing in the Traffic Department with the Traffic Commissioner.

Each attorney appointed as a Temporary Judge must attend and successfully complete every three years a course on bench conduct and demeanor, an ethics course, and a course in each substantive area in which the attorney will serve as a Temporary Judge. The courses must cover the same subjects and be of the same duration as the courses prescribed in rule 2.812(c). These courses must be approved by the Court that appoints the attorney.

The following rules of the California Rules of Court apply to Temporary Judges:

• Rule 2.810 Temporary judges appointed by the trial courts
• Rule 2.811 Court appointment of temporary judges
• Rule 2.818 Disqualifications and limitations

The following sections of the Canons of Judicial Ethics relating to fairness are applicable to Temporary Judges: Canons 2A, 2C, 3B(5), 3B(6), 3B(8), 3C(1), 3C(2), 3C(4), 3E, 5B, and 6D(3)(a).

Temporary Judge Resources Provides access to online courses, publications, and participatory materials that were developed by the Education Division/California Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER) for use by Judges, Commissioners, and Referees. The Trial Courts are making these resources available to Temporary Judges to use in preparing for their assignments and satisfying training requirements. (CRC 2.812(c)–(d), 2.813, 2.815).