Rita Faye Lin at a glance
- Current role
- Judge
- Court
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- Jurisdiction
- California · Federal
- Judicial service
- October 4, 2023–present
Rita Faye Lin
Judge · U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
Available research
Case AnalyticsPrecomputed 1Y, 2Y, 5Y, and 10Y public federal docket metricsAI abuse cases2 directly linked casesBiography and careerSource-attributed professional, judicial, and education recordCourtroom rules5 sourced items, labeled by scopeSourcesOfficial and public records supporting this profile
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AI abuse cases
2 casesAI-related ruling · April 1, 2026
Saqib Kafeel v. Apple Inc., et al.
- Court response
- Warning
AI-related ruling · November 25, 2025
Jane Doe v. Taro Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
- Court response
- Show Cause Order
Biography
Professional career
- Professional Career: Law clerk, Hon. Sandra Lynch, U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, 2003-2004
- Professional Career: Adjunct professor, University of California Hastings College of the Law (now University of California College of the Law), 2021
- Professional Career: Assistant U.S. attorney, Northern District of California, 2014-2018
- Professional Career: Private practice, San Francisco, California, 2004-2014
Judicial service
- Judge, Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, 2018-present
- Professional Career: Judge, Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, 2018-2023
Education
- Harvard University · B.A., 2000
- Harvard Law School · J.D., 2003
Personal record
Born 1978 · Oakland
Courtroom rules and guidance
Remote Proceedings
Judge Lin presumes motions are heard in person. Parties may request or stipulate to a Zoom hearing at least one week in advance, but the Court may deny the request and is disinclined to use Zoom for complex or dispositive motions.
The Court may notify the parties in advance of the hearing that it will be heard via Zoom rather than in person, but the default rule is that motions are heard in person. Parties may stipulate/request to have a hearing by Zoom video, but they must do so at least one week in advance ... The Court is disinclined to hold hearings via Zoom for complex or dispositive motions.Standing Order for Civil Cases Before Judge Rita F. Lin ↗
Technology Walkthrough
The Northern District of California publishes guidance advising counsel to fully test their equipment and schedule a courtroom visit to test it before the proceeding.
The court highly recommends that counsel be familiar their equipment and fully test prior to using anything in the courtroom. ... schedule a visit in the courtroom to test everything before the proceeding.Courtroom Technology ↗
Specialized Evidence Software
For e-evidence requiring specialized software, the Northern District of California publishes a process for at least two business days' advance notice through the Courtroom Deputy and approval by the judge and Court IT.
at least two (2) business days advance notice, counsel may request via the Courtroom Deputy that the specialized software be loaded by counsel prior to use of the system. If the judge and the court’s IT Department approve...Courtroom Technology ↗
Civil Remote Testimony
In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards.
For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location.Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court ↗
Criminal Recording And Broadcasting
Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception.
Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom.Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited ↗
Sources
Federal Judicial Center biography
Identity source · HTML · checked August 16, 2026
https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/judges/CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · checked August 2, 2026
https://www.courtlistener.com/person/14276/rita-faye-lin/Courtroom Technology
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://cand.uscourts.gov/attorneys/courtroom-technologyStanding Order for Civil Cases Before Judge Rita F. Lin
Judge research source · PDF · checked July 26, 2026
https://cand.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/standing-orders/RFL-CivilStandingOrder-5-7-2026.pdfFederal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedureFederal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts