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Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero
San Francisco Courthouse, Courtroom D – 15th Floor450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102
Public Hearings
Please click the link below to join webinars (public hearings). If you are a case participant, you will join as an attendee, then you will be brought into the proceeding by court staff.
Webinar ID: 161 926 0804
Password: 050855
Join a Webinar by Phone or Other Connection
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are a case participant (attorney, party, witness, or other person who will actively participate in the hearing), it is strongly recommended that you join Zoom using the Zoom application rather than by a telephone connection. If you must appear by telephone, the numbers posted for each judge are for the public and are listen-only, so you will need to contact the Courtroom Deputy (CRD) at least one business day before the hearing to request a Zoom invitation (which will be sent via email) in order to join the hearing as a case participant.
Phone: (669) 254-5252 or (646) 828-7666
International numbers: https://cand-uscourts.zoomgov.com/u/advFLxrTkx
H.323: 161.199.138.10 (US West) or 161.199.136.10 (US East)
SIP: [email protected]
Non-Public Hearings [Settlement Conferences]
The court will use Zoom Meetings (as opposed to Zoom Webinars) for settlement conferences and other non-public hearings. To join a meeting, click on the link below. You will initially enter a “waiting room” and will be admitted into the meeting by court staff.
Meeting ID: 161 664 4640
Passcode: 841312
Join Meeting by Phone or Other Connection
Phone: (669) 254 5252
International numbers: https://cand-uscourts.zoomgov.com/u/aRANolBV0
H.323: 161.199.138.10 (US West) or 161.199.136.10 (US East)
SIP: [email protected]
Please review this important guidance on participating in a Zoom Webinar or Meeting.
View Judge Spero’s Schedule of Upcoming Proceedings…
View Scheduling Notes…
Civil Law & Motion | Wednesdays | 9:30 a.m. |
---|---|---|
Criminal Law & Motion | Wednesdays | 10:30 a.m. |
Case Management Conferences | Wednesdays | 2:00 p.m. |
Calendar Clerk & Courtroom Deputy | Karen Hom [email protected] 415-522-2035 | |
Civil Case Docketing, Docket Corrections & PDF Follow-ups | See Civil Docketing | |
Criminal Case Docketing | See Criminal Docketing | |
Multi-District Litigation (MDL) Inquiries | See Multi-District Litigation | |
Chambers Email for Proposed Orders | [email protected] | |
Email for Settlement-Related Communications | [email protected] | |
Media Inquiries | [email protected] 415-522-4051 |
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.
Judges’ standing orders may include additional requirements and may differ from the local rules in other particulars. If they are not in agreement, a judge’s standing order supersedes the local rules.
The pertinent parts of Judge Spero’s standing orders are set forth below:
Pursuant to General Order 72-3, no paper courtesy copies will be accepted by the undersigned pending further order of the Court. Instead, courtesy copies should be emailed to [email protected]. In addition, any proposed stipulation or proposed order in a case subject to electronic filing shall be sent by email to [email protected]. This address is to be used only for proposed orders and courtesy copies unless otherwise directed by the Court.
Delivery Address
United States District CourtOffice of the Clerk
450 Golden Gate Ave, 16th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102
About Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero
Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero was appointed in 1999, and served a Chief Magistrate Judge for eight years from 2015 to 2023. He has presided as trial judge in criminal and civil cases in a variety of subject areas, including patent, employment, civil rights, fraud, contract, copyright, trademark, and federal misdemeanor cases. He has also served as a settlement judge in over 1500 cases.
Judge Spero currently serves on the Security, Conviction Alternative, and Non-appropriated Funds committees of the Court. Over the past 25 years, he has also served on many other committees, including the Executive, Reentry, Diversion, and Technology committees. He also has served on various circuit and national committees including the Magistrate Judges Advisory Group of the Administrative Office of the Courts, and the Magistrate Judge Executive Board and Capital Case Committee of the Ninth Circuit.
A 1981 graduate of Columbia University School of Law, he clerked for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He worked as an associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and as associate then partner at Coblentz, Cahen, McCabe & Breyer (now Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass).
While in private practice, he trained as a mediator at Harvard Law School and served as a mediator in the Northern District’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Program. He also served as a Judge Pro-Tem for the San Francisco County Superior Court.
Judge Spero served as pro bono counsel in a variety of cases. He received the Thurgood Marshall Award from the Bar Association of the City of New York.