Chi S Kim at a glance
- Current role
- U.S. Magistrate Judge
- Jurisdiction
- California · Federal
- Judicial service
- Active
Chi S Kim
U.S. Magistrate Judge · U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
Analytics
The published one-year federal docket dataset through 2026-06-30 records 331 cases assigned to this judge and 14 terminated cases. Median disposition time was 2.4 months across 14 terminated cases. Explore analytics
Service record and verification
Judicial service and assignments
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California · U.S. Magistrate Judge · Active · Assignment source ↗
Appointment and verification
- Source authority
- Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
Biography
Professional career
- Chi Soo Kim is a United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, appointed on March 29, 2024 to serve an eight‐year term, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Magistrate Judge Kendall J. Newman
- Staff Attorney, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (2007–2008)
- U.S. Attorney’s Office (Eastern District of California) — Civil Division Chief, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney, and Assistant U.S. Attorney
Education
- Georgetown University Law Center — J.D. (2004)
- Princeton University — B.A. (1999)
Additional information
- Korean‐American judge appointed in 2024
- Teaching: Lawyering Process at UC Davis School of Law (2019–2020) and Legal Writing & Research at UC Law San Francisco (2009–2011)
- Also a Ninth Circuit Vice President for the Federal Bar Association
- Judge Kim had a 19‐year career in public service and private practice
- Judge Kim is active in civic education, serving on the board of Operation Protect and Defend, the Justice Kennedy Learning Center Advisory Board, and the Open Doors to Federal Courts Committee
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Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Remote appearances
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.
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 ↗
Recording and broadcasting
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.
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 ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. 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 ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
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 ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Sources
Identity source checked July 29, 2026.
Biography sources checked July 29, 2026.
U.S. Courts judicial profile or roster
Identity source · HTML · Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts · Source checked July 29, 2026
View U.S. Courts judicial profile or roster ↗Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court
Courtwide source · HTML · Supreme Court of the United States and Judicial Conference of the United States · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court ↗Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited
Courtwide source · HTML · Supreme Court of the United States and Judicial Conference of the United States · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited ↗www.thesedonaconference.org — biography evidence
Biography evidence collected 2026-10-07
View source ↗