About the Historical Society
Since 1977, the Northern District Court Historical Society has been protecting and enlivening the rich judicial history of the court. From the Chinese Exclusion Laws to Patty Hearst to cutting-edge technology disputes, the Northern District has been in the thick of the some of the thorniest problems and most interesting events in California history.
Become a Member
Two Supreme Court Justices; four former White House Counsel; a former Solicitor General; Pulitzer Prize- winning authors; a NYT Supreme Court Correspondent; and a host of local and national legal luminaries—these have been the guest speakers for the Northern District Court Historical Society.
Browse Our Online Bookstore
The Historical Society has written, published, and/or collaborated on a number of excellent books covering important topics in the history of Northern California and its federal district court. We are pleased to offer Historical Society books for sale through our online bookstore.
Oral Histories
The Northern District Historical Society has been collecting the oral histories of judges to gain insight on their significant contributions. The project’s purpose is to create an archive of primary data so that future generations will be able to study how—and by whom—governing decisions were made. For more information, please see the Oral Histories page.
Recent Presentations
The Port Chicago 50: Racism and Review
Join us for Black History Month as we explore Extraordinary Stories You Might Have Missed! During WWII, Black sailors stationed at Port Chicago, CA, were required to load munitions on ships with inadequate training and under supervision that stressed s… Continue Reading The Port Chicago 50: Racism and Review
War Crimes: From the 1945 San Francisco U.N. Conference to Today
Do politics and diplomacy factor into our definition of war crimes? How are war crimes dealt with currently, compared to the past?