--- title: "Beth Labson Freeman | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/beth-labson-freeman" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # Beth Labson Freeman U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California · U.S. District Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California - State: California - Role: U.S. District Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-08-16 ## Summary Official judge-specific and circuitwide procedural guidance has been located for this profile. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, N.D. California, 2014-present - Judge, Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, 2012-2014 - Judge, Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, 2001-2014 - Presiding Judge, Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, 2011-2012 - Judge, Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, 2001-2011 - Deputy county counsel, San Mateo County, CA, 1983-2001 ### Education - Harvard Law School — J.D. (1979) - University of California, Berkeley — B.A. (1976) ### Additional information - Private practice, San Francisco, CA, 1981-1983 - Private practice, Washington, D.C., 1979-1981 - Date of birth: 1953-01-01 - Birth place: Washington, DC ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### trial exhibits Scope: judge specific Judge Freeman requires a joint tabular exhibit list for civil bench trials, with pre-marked exhibit numbers, descriptions, purposes, sponsoring witnesses, and objections; undisclosed exhibits may not be offered without leave for good cause. Evidence excerpt: A joint list of exhibits... in tabular form with (a) a column identifying the exhibit number consistent with the pre-marking requirement... (d) a column stating any objections... No party shall be permitted to offer any exhibit at trial that is not disclosed... without leave of the Court for good cause shown. [Standing Order Re Civil Bench Trials, Judge Beth Labson Freeman](https://cand.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/standing-orders/BLF-Standing-Order-re-Civil-Bench-Trials-Rev-Sept-9-2024.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### technology walkthrough Scope: courtwide 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. Evidence excerpt: 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](https://cand.uscourts.gov/attorneys/courtroom-technology) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### specialized evidence software Scope: courtwide 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. Evidence excerpt: 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](https://cand.uscourts.gov/attorneys/courtroom-technology) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide 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. Evidence excerpt: 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](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: 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](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/judges/) - [Official roster](https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/judges/) - [cand.uscourts.gov judicial profile or roster](https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/judges/) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1114/beth-labson-freeman/) - [Courtroom Technology](https://cand.uscourts.gov/attorneys/courtroom-technology) - [Standing Order Re Civil Bench Trials, Judge Beth Labson Freeman](https://cand.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/standing-orders/BLF-Standing-Order-re-Civil-Bench-Trials-Rev-Sept-9-2024.pdf) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1114/beth-labson-freeman/) - [Wikidata: Beth Labson Freeman](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16185348) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1114/beth-labson-freeman/) - [Wikidata: Beth Labson Freeman](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16185348) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/beth-labson-freeman", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/beth-labson-freeman", "name": "Beth Labson Freeman | KnowJudges", "description": "Beth Labson Freeman, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. 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Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.