The Central District of California is the largest bankruptcy court in the United States. With jurisdiction over seven counties, the Central District covers approximately 40,000 square miles. The Court serves the residents of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura Counties, with courthouses in Los Angeles, Riverside, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, and Woodland Hills.
The Central District is one of 13 bankruptcy courts within the Ninth Circuit, which encompasses the federal courts of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Guam (a U.S. Territory), and the Northern Mariana Islands (a U.S. Commonwealth). The Ninth Circuit is the largest of the 12 federal circuits in terms of size, population, number of federal judges, and volume of litigation.
With a population of more than 18.5 million people, the Central District of California represents nearly 50 percent of the state's population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Central District of California is home to four of the five most populous counties in the state, and four of the 12 most populous counties in the United States (Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties).