Scott C. Clarkson
How Judge Clarkson rules, drawn from 15 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Clarkson
Scott C. Clarkson has served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Central District of California since January 2011 and began a second term in January 2025. Earlier in his career, he clerked for a federal district judge and worked as a legislative assistant in the United States House of Representatives.
Judge Clarkson's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Clarkson, as published on the court's website (checked October 10, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
- Appearing Before Judge Scott C. Clarkson ↗
- Chapter 11 Valuation Under Section 506 Must be Brought by Motion ↗
- Electronic Devices in the Courtroom ↗
- Failure to Timely File Required Status Reports - Counsels/Parties Must Appear in Santa Ana ↗
- Judge Clarkson’s Instructions for Pre-Trial Stipulations, Settlement Instructions, Regular Trial and Evidentiary Hearing Instructions ↗
- Judge Clarkson - Judicial Practice Guide ↗
- Judge Clarkson's Procedures for Trial By Declaration ↗
- Judge Clarkson’s General Local Rule for Compensation Process for Patient Care Ombudsman Professionals ↗
- Service of Claims Objections ↗
- Serving Judge Scott C. Clarkson The Judge's Copy ↗
- Telephonic Appearance Procedures ↗
Key rules
Contacting chambers
For a request to Judge Clarkson for a hearing on less than regular notice, follow LBR 9075-1 and call chambers; email requests are not accepted.
“Follow the instructions provided in LBR 9075-1 and then contact Chambers at (714) 338-5460. Then, make your request as appropriate pursuant to the LBR and the instructions. No email communication will be accepted or responded to by Chambers for this purpose.”
Conferences
Use only a day and time on Judge Clarkson’s self-calendaring schedule that is allowed for the matter.
“ONLY use the day and time appropriate to your calendar matter. No exceptions.”
Standing orders for every case in this court
Orders the court applies to all of its cases, whichever judge has them, as published on the court's website (checked October 10, 2026).
How Judge Clarkson decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Stay relief favored allowing mature, multi-party state litigation to proceed when that forum was ready for trial and best positioned to resolve its own orders.
“the Texas Action involves multiple parties and multiple Texas state law causes of action. It has been pending for over two years in Texas state court, and it is ready for trial.”
Issue preclusion supported nondischargeability where the debtor had actively participated in earlier litigation that established knowing counterfeit sales.
“The Defendant is bound by the findings in the Default Judgment and the Default Judgment Order.”
Procedural preferences
Pleading-stage dismissal may distinguish incurable federal theories from common-law theories that could be repaired by amendment.
“leave to amend is permitted for Trustee’s common law theories.”
Judgment on the pleadings may be granted despite earlier interlocutory rulings when the developed record and controlling law show the claims cannot proceed.
“This Court does not consider the present Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings as a motion for reconsideration; it is undertaken in the interest of correcting”
A full satisfaction of judgment can cut off later interest included in a proof of claim.
“the execution of an acknowledgement of full satisfaction of judgment stopped the accrual of any future interest.”
Cautions
A nondischargeability complaint filed on the main case docket does not necessarily satisfy the strict adversary-opening deadline.
“Rule 5005(c) does not provide a mechanism to treat the adversary complaint as timely when the adversary proceeding itself was not opened until October 28, 2025”
A late amendment request made defensively after extensive litigation may be denied for delay, prejudice, and futility.
“any amendment would create undue, unnecessary and prejudicial delay and would be futile”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“The aiding-and-abetting RICO theory brought under 18 U.S.C. § 2 in Count Thirteen of the SAC is dismissed without leave to amend.”
“The aiding-and-abetting fraudulent-transfer and intentional tort theories in Count Thirteen of the SAC are dismissed with leave to amend.”
“Count Fourteen, for declaratory relief, is dismissed as derivative.”
“The First Claim for Relief cannot be maintained. Judgment is awarded to the Defendants and against Plaintiff.”
“The Second Claim for Relief cannot be maintained. Judgment is awarded to the Defendants and against the Plaintiffs.”
“judgment on the pleadings in favor of the Defendants is granted with respect to the Third Claim for Relief.”
“this Fourth Claim for Relief (to preserve alleged transferred property) must fail.”
“The Court also DENIES the Plaintiffs’ Motion to Amend Complaint”
“relief from stay is GRANTED under § 362(d)(1), but only to allow the Texas Action to proceed to judgment.”
“The Plaintiffs’ request for relief from stay to setoff against the Debtor’s counterclaims, however, is DENIED.”
“Annulment is GRANTED.”
“The Debtor’s Evidentiary Objection is GRANTED.”
“The Court DENIES the Motion to Enforce the Stay in its entirety.”
“The Debtor’s request for an accounting is also DENIED.”
“the Debtor’s requests for production of documents pursuant to Rule 2004 is DENIED.”
“The Plaintiff’s motion for summary adjudication is hereby denied”
“the IRS’ motion for summary judgment is hereby granted.”
“The Trustee’s Objection is overruled with respect to the challenge to the exemptions’ validity and attachment to the Properties.”
“The Trustee’s Objection is sustained as to the amount of the exemptions.”
“The Debtors’ case should not be dismissed for abuse. Accordingly, the Motion to Dismiss is DENIED.”
“The Motion for Summary Judgment is GRANTED.”
“For the foregoing reasons, the Motion is GRANTED.”
“Trustee’s Objection to Debtor’s claimed homestead exemption is hereby OVERRULED.”
“this Court finds cause to DENY the Motion with prejudice.”
“Accordingly, the Motion is DENIED, without prejudice.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Five sampled early-tenure matters were terminated in 132 to 299 days, with a median of 132 days. Five recently filed sampled matters remained pending. This boundary sample is descriptive and is not a complete caseload census.
Draft for Judge Clarkson with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Clarkson, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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