I. Background
California law does not include categorical exemptions from service. There is only one encompassing excuse from jury duty, which is:
"The Court shall excuse a person from jury service upon finding that the jury service would entail undue hardship on the person or the public served by the person."
II. General Policy
It is the policy of the University that jury service is a public responsibility which University personnel should meet. There are cases, however, when absence from University duties would work a great hardship on the University. It is the employee’s responsibility to seek excuse from service and the University can do no more than assist in those cases and may supply the employee with a letter describing the nature of the hardship and requesting excuse. The University cannot guarantee that a request for excuse will be accepted, and it is likely that any excuse granted will take the form of a postponement until arrangements can be made to avoid the hardship. Such letters may be requested from the Department Chair.
