This answer is not for points, I would simply like to explain why I agree with one of my colleagues and discussion entries seem to have a maximum word limit, so I hit "answer" just to have enough room to explain.

I agree with Lucia Colombino’s suggestion, “the court” and here’s why:

According to José Alberto Garrone, author of “Diccionario manual jurídico Abeledo-Perrot” the term “despacho judicial” refers to:
“El conjunto de personas que participan subordinadamente en la administración de justicia mediante el desempeño de funciones materializadas en la instrumentación del proceso.”

Because “juzgados” in the continental system (L.A. and part of Continental Europe) are organized differently from “courts” in the common law system (UK, US, among others), in countries under common law many of the functions the author is referring to are carried out by the Court Clerk, but some are carried out by the Law Clerk (a.k.a. Judicial Clerk) as well as secretaries and other court workers. The term “despacho” in Spanish refers to either the whole group of people that work with a judge or to the judge’s actual chamber.

The word “chamber” doesn’t fit the context you’re describing because chamber is the actual office in which a judge makes his/her decisions and carries out his/her everyday functions. In the common law system, a judge can use his/her chambers to meet with the parties and their attorneys (provided they follow very strict rules). However, this practice is strictly prohibited in most countries under continental law.

I believe that since “Juzgado” can accurately be translated as “Court” and, at the same time, “Juzgado” is a synonym of “Despacho Judicial,” there is no reason why both synonyms can’t be translated the same way to avoid confusion. Even though when it comes to legal principles common law and continental law don’t differ as much as it seems, when it comes to legal procedures, they’re two completely different worlds. So the simpler, the better.

Hope this helps!


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Note added at 3 hrs (2009-07-18 00:18:41 GMT)
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_clerk

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Note added at 2 days21 mins (2009-07-19 21:18:07 GMT) Post-grading
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Thanks! I was really just trying to help. :o)