Opportunities for Young Lawyers

Judge Nelson encourages litigants and law firms to be mindful of opportunities for young lawyers of all backgrounds (attorneys practicing less than 7 years) to conduct hearings before the court in tandem with more experienced attorneys, especially where young lawyers drafted or significantly contributed to motions and responses. These opportunities include oral argument as well as witness examination.

Judge Nelson believes it is important to provide young lawyers with substantive speaking opportunities to gain experience in court, as the benefits of such experience accrue to the young lawyer, clients, and the legal profession in general. However, Judge Nelson understands that, in some instances, having a young lawyer appear may not be appropriate or in the client's best interest. Therefore, an experienced attorney may supplement a young lawyer's arguments and questions with their own if necessary.

Judge's Copies of Filings

Except for those documents identified in the Trial Management Order, parties are exempt from Local Rule 5-10 with regard to the paper filing of documents. PLEASE DO NOT SEND JUDGE NELSON PAPER COPIES OF YOUR FILINGS. SHE WILL ACCESS YOUR FILINGS ELECTRONICALLY AND DOES NOT NEED A COURTESY COPY.

Courtroom Rules

• Wireless communication devices must be placed in silent mode while in the courthouse. Recording devices may not be used at any time in the courthouse or in any court proceedings conducted remotely using telephone conferencing, video conferencing, or any other form of electronic communication.
• The parties should provide advance notice when they require teleconferencing, intend to utilize the courtroom's video displays, or have other presentation technology questions.
• Attorneys and parties should conduct themselves with decorum and civility. This is primarily for their own benefit: jurors, courtroom staff, and public observers consistently state that they prefer a civil and collegial relationship between opposing parties and counsel.
• During oral arguments, attorneys and witnesses should refer to parties by their proper names (Ex: "Mr. Smith" not "the defendant").

Hyperlink

The court strongly encourages counsel to hyperlink to the cases that they cite in their briefs. For more information on inserting hyperlinks in CM/ECF documents, see Section 5 of the CM/ECF User Manual.

Expedited Case Management

If the parties agree to an expedited trial schedule, the court will set a case management conference to discuss limits on discovery and the need for dispositive motions. The court will make every effort to set a trial date within six months of the expedited case management conference.

Pro Se Parties

Parties proceeding pro se (that is, representing yourself without a lawyer) should refer to the District of Oregon's Handbook for Self-Represented Parties for helpful information.

Judicial Externship Openings

Judge Nelson is currently accepting applications for Spring and Summer 2025 judicial externs.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and preference will be given to Spring 2025 applications submitted by December 2, 2024. Please review these important instructions on how to apply.