Temporary Judge Program
Applications for Volunteer Court-Appointed Temporary Judges (Judges Pro Tem)
The Superior Court of Alameda County is accepting applications from interested attorneys who wish to serve as a Volunteer Court-Appointed Temporary Judge (Judge Pro Tem) pursuant to Rule 2.810, et seq. of the California Rules of Court in the following case types: Civil (Small Claims; Unlawful Detainers; Civil Harassment and Workplace/Postsecondary School Violence); Probate; Family; Juvenile and Traffic. Temporary Judge appointments are for one calendar year. Applications are reviewed each year in the fall for the coming year.
Applicants must meet and maintain the requirements set forth in Rule 2.812 of the California Rules of Court.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Experience
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.
Training and Continuing Education
All training and continuing education must be completed and renewed within the last three years. All required courses, except Bench Conduct and Demeanor, are available through the Judicial Council of California’s Temporary Judge Resources Page:
MANDATORY TRAINING COURSES FOR ALL TEMPORARY JUDGES
Judicial Ethics for Temporary Judges
Bench Conduct and Demeanor
- Certificates of Completion through any California trial court are accepted.
MANDATORY SUBSTANTIVE COURSES BY CASE TYPE
Civil
All courses in the below list are required for Temporary Judges who hear Civil cases.
- Small Claims Court: Procedures and Practices
- Small Claims Court: Consumer and Substantive Laws
- Unlawful Detainer
- Orders Prohibiting Civil Harassment/Postsecondary School Violence
Family
Three hours of substantive training from the below list of courses is required for Temporary Judges who hear Family cases.
- Calendar Management in Family Court
- Custody and Visitation
- Determining Income
- Child and Spousal Support
- Characterizing Property
- Dividing Property
Family – Domestic Violence
All courses in the below list are required for Temporary Judges who hear Domestic Violence cases.
- Domestic Violence: Restraining Orders Prohibiting Family or Relationship Abuse
- Orders Prohibiting Civil Harassment and Workplace/Postsecondary School Violence
Juvenile
All courses in the below list are required for Temporary Judges who hear Juvenile cases.
Traffic
The course listed below is required for Temporary Judges who hear Traffic cases.
Certificates of completion of all required courses must be included with your application.
Applications to Serve as Temporary Judge
Every attorney who applies for appointment as a temporary judge in a trial court must complete an application to serve as a temporary judge. CRC 10.744
Application forms are available here.
Send completed applications to: TempJudgePgm@alameda.courts.ca.gov