---
title: "Erica R. Yew | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/erica-r-yew"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-07"
---

# Erica R. Yew

Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara · Superior Court Judge

## Profile

- Court: Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara
- State: California
- Role: Superior Court Judge
- Service status: active
- Last verified: 2026-07-28

## Summary

Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge.

## Biography

### Professional career

- Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, 2001-present
- Before joining the judiciary, she worked as a civil litigator at Robinson & Wood Inc. (1985–1999) and later as a partner at McManis, Faulkner & Morgan.
- Pioneering California judge and judicial leader, best known as the first Asian-American woman to serve on the Santa Clara County Superior Court bench
- She also taught at Stanford Law School’s Trial Advocacy Program and held the role of a volunteer judge pro tempore

### Education

- Yew earned a B.A. with honors from UC Berkeley (1982) and a J.D. from UC College of the Law, San Francisco (1985).

### Additional information

- Member of the California Judicial Council (2009–2012, 2023–present)
- Following her judicial service, Erica Yew became CEO of the American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley on February 1, 2026.
- Governor Gray Davis appointed Erica Yew to the Santa Clara County Superior Court on October 2, 2001, a position she held until January 23, 2026.
- Board member of the National Center for State Courts (2021–2025)
- Chair of the CJP (2010–2019)
- Award of Special Merit (Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, 1995)
- Wiley W. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Services (California State Bar, 1991)
- Pro Bono Attorney of the Year (Santa Clara County Bar Association, 1990)
- She was admitted to the State Bar of California in December 1985.
- Member of the California Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions
- Member of the California Access to Justice Commission
- Chair of the California Commission on Judicial Performance (CJP)
- President of the California Judges Association (CJA)
- She co-chaired the CJA Mindfulness and Wellness Committee and is a co-chair of the California Judicial Mentor Program American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley.
- During her tenure, she oversaw specialized courts such as dependency drug treatment courts and collaborative problem-solving courts, and launched Santa Clara County’s first county-wide collaborative workshop program for families affected by domestic violence.

## 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

### remote appearance technology

Scope: courtwide

Santa Clara civil departments are transitioning from Microsoft Teams to Unicorn Digital Courtroom. The assigned department must be checked because departments may use different platforms during the migration.

Evidence excerpt: some departments will adopt UDC while others will continue using Microsoft Teams

[Important Updates and Information for Civil Cases](https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/divisions/civil-division/important-updates-and-information-civil-cases)
Source checked: 2026-07-28

### civil motion reservation

Scope: courtwide

For Santa Clara civil law-and-motion matters, the moving party must reserve a hearing date before filing and generally must file the moving papers within five business days after reservation.

Evidence excerpt: Moving party must reserve a court hearing date, online or by phone, prior to filing a motion.

[Important Updates and Information for Civil Cases](https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/divisions/civil-division/important-updates-and-information-civil-cases)
Source checked: 2026-07-28

### audiovisual evidence

Scope: statewide

A party offering an electronic sound or sound-and-video recording must provide the court and opposing parties a transcript and provide opposing parties a duplicate of the recording.

Evidence excerpt: the party must provide to the court and to opposing parties a transcript of the electronic recording and provide opposing parties with a duplicate of the electronic recording

[California Rule 2.1040, Electronic recordings presented or offered into evidence](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/two/rule2_1040)
Source checked: 2026-07-26

### remote proceedings

Scope: statewide

California courts should permit remote participation in covered civil proceedings, subject to the statute, local rules, and controlling orders.

Evidence excerpt: courts should permit parties to appear remotely at conferences, hearings, and proceedings in civil cases consistent with Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75

[California Rule 3.672, Remote proceedings](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_672)
Source checked: 2026-07-26

### remote participants and witnesses

Scope: statewide

Covered civil parties and witnesses may appear remotely, and the court may conduct proceedings in whole or in part using remote technology.

Evidence excerpt: that party or witness may appear remotely and the court may conduct conferences, hearings, and proceedings, in whole or in part, through the use of remote technology

[California Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=367.75.&lawCode=CCP)
Source checked: 2026-07-26

### recording and broadcasting

Scope: statewide

Court proceedings may not be photographed, recorded, or broadcast except as Rule 1.150 permits.

Evidence excerpt: Except as provided in this rule, court proceedings may not be photographed, recorded, or broadcast.

[California Rule 1.150, Photographing, recording, and broadcasting in court](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/one/rule1_150)
Source checked: 2026-07-26

### expedited jury trial presentations

Scope: statewide

In expedited jury trials, parties may use slides, electronic presentations, projections, exhibit notebooks, and other methods approved at the pretrial conference.

Evidence excerpt: the parties may present summaries and may use photographs, diagrams, slides, electronic presentations, overhead projections, individual notebooks of exhibits for submission to the jurors, or other innovative methods of presentation approved at the pretrial conference

[California Rule 3.1551, Case presentation](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1551)
Source checked: 2026-07-26

### expedited jury trial pretrial agreements

Scope: statewide

Voluntary expedited jury trial submissions must identify party agreements concerning electronic presentations and other proposed presentation methods.

Evidence excerpt: Any agreements of the parties to use photographs, diagrams, slides, electronic presentations, overhead projections, notebooks of exhibits, or other methods of presenting information to the jury

[California Rule 3.1548, Pretrial submissions for voluntary expedited jury trials](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1548)
Source checked: 2026-07-26

### exhibit admission

Scope: statewide

An exhibit must be admitted by the judge before it may be used in the case.

Evidence excerpt: The judge must to allow you to admit the exhibit as evidence in order for you to use it in your case.

[How to introduce exhibits at a trial](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/how-introduce-exhibits-trial)
Source checked: 2026-07-26


## Sources

- [Official profile](https://courts.ca.gov/courts/superior-courts/judges-roster)
- [Official roster](https://courts.ca.gov/courts/superior-courts/judges-roster)
- [Judicial Branch of California official judicial roster](https://courts.ca.gov/courts/superior-courts/judges-roster)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/12917/erica-robin-yew/)
- [California Rule 2.1040, Electronic recordings presented or offered into evidence](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/two/rule2_1040)
- [California Rule 3.672, Remote proceedings](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_672)
- [California Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=367.75.&lawCode=CCP)
- [California Rule 1.150, Photographing, recording, and broadcasting in court](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/one/rule1_150)
- [California Rule 3.1551, Case presentation](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1551)
- [California Rule 3.1548, Pretrial submissions for voluntary expedited jury trials](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1548)
- [How to introduce exhibits at a trial](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/how-introduce-exhibits-trial)
- [Important Updates and Information for Civil Cases](https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/divisions/civil-division/important-updates-and-information-civil-cases)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/12917/erica-robin-yew/)

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## Published courtroom rules

### Shared court rules

- [California Trial Court Rules](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-9f680f8d47ee26f7ea1a6bce) — Applicable trial-court proceedings; individual rules may be limited to civil, criminal or other case types. 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://courts.ca.gov/system/files?file=file/roc-title-2.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.
- [California Civil Rules](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-b2d4d123885851a5fcca88dd) — Civil proceedings; Rule 3.10 and specialized-case exclusions 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](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files?file=file/roc-title-3_3.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.
- [California Criminal Rules](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-f6b70a7925331d01ac4f3da8) — Criminal proceedings only. 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://courts.ca.gov/system/files?file=file/roc-title-4.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.
- [California Family and Juvenile Rules](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-b35daaa50a3da8133dcea76d) — Family and juvenile proceedings only; a general Superior Court assignment does not establish a personal family/juvenile assignment. 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://courts.ca.gov/system/files?file=file/roc-title-5_3.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.
- [California Probate Rules and Mental Health Rules](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-7c869f3fd279fe758c2d41be) — Probate and mental health proceedings only; a general Superior Court assignment does not establish a personal probate assignment. 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://courts.ca.gov/system/files?file=file/roc-title-7.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.
- [California Rule 2.1040, Electronic recordings presented or offered into evidence](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-cece5afa480bc6cbddca965c) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim.  Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/two/rule2_1040). Collected 2026-07-26.
- [California Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-e40ba2699f4d3d815dac46ca) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim.  Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=367.75.&lawCode=CCP). Collected 2026-07-26.
- [California Rule 1.150, Photographing, recording, and broadcasting in court](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-e59897426ff892cfcd8e0103) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim.  Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/one/rule1_150). Collected 2026-07-26.
