Temporary Judge Program

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A "court-appointed temporary judge" is an attorney who has satisfied the requirements for appointment listed in California Rules of Court 2.812, and has been appointed by the court to serve as a temporary judge in a courtroom.


Parties might encounter a temporary judge if:

  • The court has appointed a temporary judge to hear their case on the date they have their court appearance.
  • Parties have decided they want to have a temporary judge hear just their case (NOTE: This is a local court program, and it is only available in limited and unlimited jurisdiction civil cases.)


Joining Contra Costa's Temporary Judge Panel

Effective January 1, 2007, California Rules of Court, Rule 2.810 established new and more rigorous training and qualification requirements for attorneys wishing to serve as temporary judges.

To qualify, attorneys must have been active members of the California State Bar, in good standing, for at least 10 years before appointment. There cannot be any pending disciplinary actions, and the individual must not have pled guilty or no contest to a felony, or have a felony conviction that has not been reversed. He or she must satisfy all education and training requirements established by the state, as well as any other conditions that the individual court may require. Mandated training elements include a 3-hour in-person course on judicial demeanor (provided by a court) together with an online training course in related judicial demeanor and ethical issues.

Attorneys must also take one or more online training courses provided by the Judicial Council, depending on the substantive areas of law they wish to hear.

Depending on case type, there may also be additional training, education, or experience requirements to serve in Contra Costa County.


Minimum Requirements

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 and meets the following conditions:

  • Is an active member in good standing of the State Bar and has no disciplinary action pending;
  • Has not pled 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.


Training Requirements

Temporary Judges must complete all in-person and online training courses at least once every 3 years. The Court encourages Temporary Judges to re-train at least every 2 years. The Court requires both online and in-person training classes. New applicants must also shadow a commissioner before being assigned a calendar.

What online courses are required?

What "In Person" classes are required?

  • For all Temporary Judges:
  • Judicial Demeanor/Bench Conduct (This may be taken in any California county.)
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  • Temporary Judges serving only in Probate need only complete the in-person Probate class.
  • For all other Temporary Judges:
  • Civil Harassment
  • Traffic
  • Small Claims
  • Unlawful Detainer
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  • When and how are the in-person classes offered? See "Training Schedule" on this page for dates. Classes are held via Zoom. The Court typically holds classes in the summer (July/August) and winter (February/March).
  • What if I only want to sit a small claims, traffic, or other single-assignment calendar? With the exception of Probate, the Court does not approve attorneys for single assignments as most calendars have multiple case types.
  • What additional requirements are there after course completion? New applicants must shadow a commissioner at least once in each case type prior to be assigned to a calendar. Once training is completed and the application approved, you will be advised of how to set up shadowing sessions.
Training Schedule
Class Date Time
Civil HarassmentTuesday, February 4, 20258:30 – 11:45 a.m.
TrafficTuesday, February 4, 20251:15 - 4:30 p.m.
Small ClaimsThursday, February 6, 20258:30 – 11:45 a.m.
Unlawful Detainer Thursday, February 6, 20251:15 - 4:30 p.m.
Judicial Demeanor/Bench ConductTBDTBD
All courses are 3 MCLE Credits
To sign-up for any of the local training classes, please email your name and State Bar number to the Temporary Judge Program at: tempjudge@contracosta.courts.ca.gov
Registration will close one week before the scheduled class.

Application

Please complete the application for the Temporary Judge Program.