--- title: "Rita Faye Lin | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/rita-faye-lin" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-08" --- # Rita Faye Lin U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California - State: California - Role: 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, Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, 2018-present - Judge, Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, 2018-2023 - Adjunct professor, University of California Hastings College of the Law (now University of California College of the Law), 2021 - Assistant U.S. attorney, Northern District of California, 2014-2018 - Law clerk, Hon. Sandra Lynch, U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, 2003-2004 ### Education - Harvard Law School — J.D. (2003) - Harvard University — B.A. (2000) ### Additional information - Private practice, San Francisco, California, 2004-2014 - Date of birth: 1978 - Birth place: Oakland ## 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 proceedings Scope: judge specific 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. Evidence excerpt: 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](https://cand.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/standing-orders/RFL-CivilStandingOrder-5-7-2026.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/14276/rita-faye-lin/) - [Courtroom Technology](https://cand.uscourts.gov/attorneys/courtroom-technology) - [Standing Order for Civil Cases Before Judge Rita F. Lin](https://cand.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/standing-orders/RFL-CivilStandingOrder-5-7-2026.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/14276/rita-faye-lin/) - [Judge Rita Faye Lin](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761006) - [Wikidata: Rita F. Lin](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q113337036) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/14276/rita-faye-lin/) - [Judge Rita Faye Lin](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761006) - [Wikidata: Rita F. Lin](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q113337036) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/rita-faye-lin", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/rita-faye-lin", "name": "Rita Faye Lin | KnowJudges", "description": "Rita Faye Lin, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-08", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/rita-faye-lin#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/rita-faye-lin#judge", "name": "Rita Faye Lin", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/rita-faye-lin", "jobTitle": "Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/judges/", "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/14276/rita-faye-lin/" ], "birthDate": "1978", "birthPlace": "Oakland", "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Harvard University" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Harvard Law School" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "California", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/california" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Rita Faye Lin", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/rita-faye-lin" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 169 | 21 | 1.2 | 21 | | 2y | 449 | 165 | 3.2 | 165 | | 5y | 647 | 326 | 4.3 | 326 | | 10y | 647 | 326 | 4.3 | 326 | Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/ ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — 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](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.