Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_09-cv-02292/USCOURTS-cand-3_09-cv-02292-18/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

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FEDERAL BAR ASSOCIATION 

 NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA CHAPTER

OFFICERS

President

Judith Anderson 

Securities and Exchange

Commission 

44 Montgomery Street, 

Suite 2600 

San Francisco, CA 

94104 

415/705-2500 

AndersonJu@sec.gov 

Vice President, 

San Francisco

Gregory N. Owen 

Owen, Wickersham & 

Erickson, P.C. 

455 Market Street, Suite 

1910 

San Francisco, CA 

94105 

415/882-3200 

gowen@owe.com

Vice President,

Oakland

Valerie Stewart 

Federal Bureau of 

Prisons 

7338 Shoreline Dr. 

Stockton, CA 95219 

209/956-9733 

vlstewart@bop.gov 

Vice President, 

San Jose

Jason de Bretteville 

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP 

1870 Embarcadero Road 

Palo Alto, California 

94303 

1-650/461-5600 

debrettevillej@sullcrom.

com 

Secretary/Treasurer

Timothy K. Roake 

Gibson, Dunn & 

Crutcher LLP 

1881 Page Mill Road 

Palo Alto, CA 94304 

650/849-5382

troake@gibsondunn.com 

President Elect

David H. Fry 

Munger, Tolles & Olson 

LLP 

560 Mission Street, 27th 

Floor 

San Francisco CA 94105 

415/512-4000 

David.Fry@mto.com

Immediate Past President

Christopher D. Sullivan 

McGrane Greenfield LLP 

One Ferry Building, Suite 

220 

San Francisco, CA 94111 

415/283-1776 

csullivan@ 

mcgranegreenfield.com 

HONORARY OFFICERS

The Hon. Vaughn R. Walker

Chief Judge 

United States District Court

Northern District of 

California 

450 Golden Gate Avenue 

San Francisco, CA 94102 

415/522-2000 

Joseph P. Russoniello, Esq.

United States Attorney 

U.S. Attorney's Office 

450 Golden Gate Avenue, 

11th Fl. 

P.O. Box 36055 

San Francisco, CA 94102 

415/436-7200 

Barry J. Portman, Esq. 

Federal Public Defender 

450 Golden Gate Avenue, 

Rm. 17424 

P.O. Box 36105 

San Francisco, CA 94102 

415/436-7700 

STEERING COMMITTEE

The Hon. Laurel Beeler 

Stephen Paul Berzon 

Asim Bhansali 

Martha Boersch 

Peter Boutin 

Elizabeth Brancart 

Elizabeth J. Cabraser 

Richard C. Darwin 

Bruce S. Flushman 

David Fry 

David Girard 

Matthew Jacobs 

Randall T. Kim 

Erik Khoobyarian 

Rory K. Little 

Otis McGee 

Kathleen Morris 

Sharon L. O’Grady 

Scott Raber 

Patrick Robbins 

Joseph P. Russoniello 

Stephen L. Schirle 

Christopher Steskal 

Sanford Svetcov 

January 7, 2010 

The Honorable Phyllis Hamilton 

Chair of the Rules Committee for the Northern District of 

California 

United States Courthouse 

1301 Clay Street 

Oakland, CA 94612 

The Honorable Vaughn Walker 

Chief Judge, Northern District of California 

United States Courthouse 

450 Golden Gate Avenue 

San Francisco, CA 94102 

Dear Judge Hamilton and Chief Judge Walker: 

 

On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Northern 

District of California Chapter to the Federal Bar Association, I 

write to express our support for the revision of Local Rule 77-3, 

effective December 22, 2009. The revisions to Local Rule 77-3 

are necessary and appropriate to implement the pilot program 

allowing, on an experimental basis, the limited use of cameras in 

federal district courts within the circuit that was approved 

unanimously by the Judicial Council of the Ninth Circuit on 

December 17, 2009. 

 The Judicial Council’s action follows a resolution 

supporting the use of cameras passed by judges and lawyers 

attending the 2007 Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. We share 

the view that allowing the pilot program to move forward, subject 

to the sound discretion of the District Judges, will be useful and is 

important. It will offer a basis to evaluate whether the use of 

cameras significantly improves public access to court proceedings. 

Exploring the experimental use of cameras in the courtroom will 

contribute to better understanding of how federal courts can best 

ensure that the right to public access is fostered in practical and 

meaningful ways. Public access to federal court proceedings, with 

only extremely limited exceptions, is a bedrock principle and 

firmly established constitutional right. As our society changes and 

public access to federal courts can be more difficult in light of 

increased security concerns and numerous other factors, the 

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