The presiding judge may, on the noticed motion of a party or on the court’s own motion, order the assignment of any case to one judge for all or such limited purposes as will promote the efficient administration of justice.
Rule 3.734.Assignment to one judge for all or limited purposes
Division 7. Civil Case Management · Chapter 3. Case Management · Last amended 2007 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceRule 3.734 lets the presiding judge, on a party’s noticed motion or the court’s own motion, assign a case to a single judge for all purposes or for limited purposes when doing so will promote the efficient administration of justice.
Full Text of Rule 3.734
Plain-English Summary
In many courthouses, different stages of a case can pass through different judges or departments — one judge for a law and motion calendar, another for trial. Rule 3.734 lets the presiding judge cut against that pattern by assigning a particular case to one judge instead, either for the entire case or for a defined slice of it, whenever doing so would promote the efficient administration of justice.
The assignment can come from either direction. A party can ask for it through a noticed motion, or the presiding judge can order it without any request at all, on the court’s own motion. Because the rule covers assignment “for all or such limited purposes,” it can mean putting one judge in charge of everything from filing to judgment, or something narrower, like keeping one judge on discovery disputes while other matters proceed through the regular calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides whether a California case is assigned to one judge for all purposes?
The presiding judge, either on the court’s own motion or on a party’s noticed motion under rule 3.734.
Can a party request all-purpose judge assignment in a California civil case?
Yes, by filing a noticed motion asking the presiding judge to assign the case to one judge.
What does “limited purposes” assignment mean under rule 3.734?
It means the case is assigned to one judge for a defined part of the case rather than for every purpose, when that narrower assignment would serve efficient administration.
Amendment History
Rule 3.734 amended and renumbered effective January 1, 2007; adopted as rule 213 effective January 1, 1985; previously amended effective July 1, 2002.
Source & verification. Rule text is reproduced verbatim from
the Judicial Council of California. Adopted by the Judicial Council of California.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
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