The California Judges Benchguides index is the master list of free procedural reference guides published by the Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER) under the Judicial Council of California. Each entry in the index points to a separate PDF covering one discrete type of hearing or proceeding, numbered and titled so you can locate the right guide for the matter in front of you. Although the guides are written for judges, the index is public and anyone can download from it.
What a Benchguide Actually Is
A benchguide is a focused procedural manual for one type of courtroom proceeding. It consolidates the governing statutes, case law summaries, and step-by-step checklists a judge needs for that specific hearing. Benchguide 83, for example, covers restitution fines and orders in criminal, juvenile, and diversion cases.1California Victim Compensation Board. Benchguide 83 Restitution Benchguide 52 handles misdemeanor arraignment. Benchguide 200 addresses custody and visitation.
Benchguides are not binding law. A judge who departs from the suggested procedure has not necessarily committed legal error. They function as highly authoritative reference material, not as rules of court.
Where to Find the Index
The guides live on the California Courts website at courts.ca.gov, where each one is posted as a downloadable PDF through CJER’s publications section.2California Courts. Family Court Benchguide 12 2022 Final Searching “benchguide” on the courts.ca.gov domain will surface the individual publication pages.
The courts site does not always present the collection as a single easy-to-browse list, so the fastest way to see everything in one place is often a county law library’s compiled index page. Several California county law libraries maintain pages that list every available benchguide with direct links to the PDFs. A search for “California Judges Benchguides” plus any county law library name will usually get you to one of these compilations.
Some benchguides are also mirrored on other state agency sites when the subject overlaps. The California Victim Compensation Board, for instance, hosts a copy of Benchguide 83 on restitution.1California Victim Compensation Board. Benchguide 83 Restitution
How the Numbering Works
Each benchguide carries a number and a subject title. The numbering is not a straight sequence from 1 upward. Instead, number ranges correspond loosely to areas of law, so once you know the ranges you can narrow quickly:
- Single digits and low numbers: general courtroom procedures
- 50s through 90s: criminal proceedings
- 100-series: juvenile law
- 200-series: family law
- 300-series: probate and conservatorship
Within each guide, content is subdivided using a decimal section system (§83.1, §83.2, and so on), and each guide carries its own table of contents. Once the index gets you to the right number, the internal table of contents gets you to the right page.
Which Benchguides Cover Which Topics
A representative sample of the index, grouped by subject area:
- General courtroom procedures. Disqualification and Disclosure (Benchguide 2); contempt and sanctions (Benchguide 3).
- Civil. Civil harassment restraining orders (Benchguide 20); Landlord-Tenant Litigation: Unlawful Detainer (Benchguide 31); Small Claims Court (Benchguide 34).
- Criminal. Misdemeanor arraignment (Benchguide 52); right to counsel issues (Benchguide 54); pretrial diversion (Benchguide 62); competence to stand trial (Benchguide 63); sentencing (Benchguides 74 and 75); DUI proceedings (Benchguide 81); restitution (Benchguide 83); preliminary hearings (Benchguide 92).
- Traffic. Traffic court proceedings (Benchguide 82).
- Juvenile. Dependency hearings from initial detention through disposition and permanency (Benchguides 100–104); delinquency hearings (Benchguides 116–119).
- Family. Parental rights and adoptions (Benchguide 130); custody and visitation (Benchguide 200); property division (Benchguide 202).
- Probate and conservatorship. Conservator appointments (Benchguide 300); conservatorship proceedings (Benchguide 301); probate administration (Benchguide 302).
- Mental health. Lanterman-Petris-Short Act proceedings (Benchguide 120).
Benchguides vs. Benchbooks
CJER publishes two kinds of reference materials with confusingly similar names, and the index you want depends on which you need. Benchguides are narrow and procedural, typically shorter and more checklist-driven. Benchbooks are broader substantive treatises covering an entire area of practice; CJER titles include Civil Proceedings: Before Trial, Civil Proceedings: Discovery, Domestic Violence Cases in Criminal Court, and Search and Seizure.3California Courts. Education Plan FY 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 If you need the full procedural arc of a civil case from filing through trial, a benchbook is the right tool. If you need to know how one specific hearing works, use the benchguide index.
Using a Benchguide if You’re Not a Judge
Attorneys preparing for a hearing and self-represented litigants both get real value out of these documents. The relevant benchguide tells you what the judge is required to consider, what findings must be made, and what procedural steps the court will follow. Matching your evidence and arguments to that checklist is a direct way to prepare.
For self-represented litigants, the guides translate hearing procedure into plain terms and often point to the specific Judicial Council forms required at each step. Benchguide 34, for example, walks through small claims from the judge’s perspective, which lets you see what the court will be looking for.
The guides also cite the controlling statutes and leading cases for each proceeding, which makes them a useful entry point for deeper research. One caution: a benchguide may not reflect the newest case law or statutory amendments if it hasn’t been updated recently. CJER revises guides on a rolling schedule, so verify the current text of any statute cited in a guide before relying on it in court.