3 Things to Know in the Ninth Circuit (SF Edition): Food, Parking and Tech
The Ninth Circuit meets in Pasadena, Portland, Seattle and San Francisco, but since we're in the Bay Area, and have firsthand experience living in San Francisco, we thought we'd take some time to give you an insider's view of the court when it sits in "The City."
If you are coming to San Francisco to argue an appeal before the Ninth Circuit, there are really three things you need to know (besides your case): food, parking and tech.
Visiting San Francisco -- Parking
San Francisco is no fun when it comes to parking. So much so, that people were actually auctioning off and bidding on parking spots thanks to MonkeyParking (though it's not any longer due to legal action). Our advice to you? Leave the cars at home. If you are local and would normally drive in to the city, consider taking BART or Caltrain.
If you insist on driving, then here's a list of area parking lots. If you are visiting and staying at an area hotel, walking is always a nice option, but if your files and briefcases have you weighed down, there are always taxis, but here in SF we prefer Uber or Lyft.
Visiting San Francisco -- Eating
San Francisco is a foodie town, so if there's one thing you need to do here, it's eat well. The Ninth Circuit website does a pretty good job of listing area restaurants and we'll highlight two that are on the list: Blue Bottle Coffee (best coffee) and Radius (locally sourced food). Missing from the list are my editor's favorite Tu Lan (Vietnamese), 'wichcraft (Chef Tom Colicchio's sandwich outpost), Taddich Grill (old-school with must have cioppino) and the Ferry Building (especially Il Cane Rosso). After hours, head down to the Mission district and eat at Locanda (Italian), Tacolicious (Mexican), Delfina (Italian), Craftsman & Wolves (Baked Goods), and/or Tartine (the best bread you will eat in the U.S.). (You're welcome -- and buon appetito).
Visiting San Francisco -- Tech
The Bay Area is the heart and soul of the tech industry, and that's reflected in little things such as the Ninth Circuit's website (by far the best of the circuits). The site is updated frequently, and makes it very easy for you to find updates, including audio and video recordings of the proceedings. That said, don't go trying to wear you Google Glass to oral arguments. Finally, since we take tech seriously in the Ninth, please be sure to check the site for the rules regarding electronics and which courtrooms have WiFi (ironically, not SF).
We hope you enjoy your stay in San Francisco, but there's one last thing to remember: if you don't like the outcome of your appeal, you can always petition for cert. The odds are in your favor that the Supreme Court will reverse the Ninth Circuit anyway.
Related Resources:
- Wish They All Could Be Cali-- Um, 9th Circuit Court Websites(FindLaw's U.S. Ninth Circuit Blog)
- AZ's 6 New Judges Include 1st Female Native American Fed. Judge (FindLaw's U.S. Ninth Circuit Blog)
- Spend more time practicing and less time advertising. (FindLaw Lawyer Marketing)