Short answers, pulled from the story.
The United States District Court for the Northern District of California covers Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma counties. This jurisdiction spans from the redwood forests of Del Norte to Silicon Valley.
Congress divided California into two districts on the 28th of September 1850 through an Act approved that same day. The legislation established the boundary line at the 37th parallel of North Latitude shortly after California entered the Union on the 9th of September 1850.
The headquarters remains in San Francisco at the Phillip Burton Federal Building & United States Courthouse. The court also maintains physical courtroom locations in Eureka, Oakland, and San Jose where judges preside over trials and hearings.
Major technology companies funnel federal lawsuits to this specific court because it covers both San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Patent law and intellectual property disputes dominate the docket here due to the concentration of high-technology firms in Santa Clara County.
Calhoun Benham held the position of United States Attorney first from 1850 to 1853. Over fifty different individuals have served in this office since its inception following the division of California into two districts.