Steve B. Chu

Judge Steve B. Chu

Court: United States District Court for the Southern District of California

Steve B. Chu is a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of California, sitting in San Diego. He was appointed to the bench on June 30, 2023. Upon his appointment, he became the first Asian American to serve as a magistrate judge in the district. Prior to his appointment, Judge Chu began his legal career in private practice after graduating from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings) in 2002. In 2006, he joined the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office, where he represented the U.S. government in various civil litigation matters, including medical malpractice and personal injury lawsuits.

As a relatively new magistrate judge, Judge Chu is still developing his patent-specific docket and procedures. The single tracked patent case assigned to him, Optimum Vector Dynamics LLC v. Dreame Technology USA Inc., was filed on April 20, 2026, and involves a patent related to robotic vacuums and lawnmowers with smart mapping and mobile app integration features. Given the recency of his appointment and the early stage of this case, publicly available data does not yet indicate a specific trend regarding the volume of his patent caseload, his preferred claim construction procedures, or the common technology areas before him.

There are no notable patent rulings, trial outcomes, or published opinions from Judge Chu at this time, consistent with his recent appointment to the bench. The Optimum Vector Dynamics case is in its earliest phase, with the complaint having been filed in late April 2026. As a magistrate judge, his role in patent cases typically involves managing discovery disputes, holding settlement conferences, and preparing reports and recommendations on dispositive motions for the presiding District Judge, who in the Optimum case is Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel.

Judge Chu has published Civil Chambers Rules that outline his specific procedures. These rules emphasize civility and professionalism, stating that the court "will not tolerate disrespect from parties or counsel" and that all participants are expected to comply with the district's local rule on professionalism at all times. His rules also detail specific protocols for communicating with chambers staff, noting that telephone calls are only permitted for non-substantive scheduling matters. Importantly, letters and emails are not to be submitted to chambers unless specifically requested.