Thursday, May 11, 2023: 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 26, 2023: 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

A civil lawsuit starts with the filing and service of a written complaint. The complaint serves many purposes, including the identification of the parties involved in the lawsuit, the plaintiff’s reason for filing a lawsuit, and the type of relief that is sought.  The defendant must then respond to the complaint by filing an answer or another type of response. The complaint and the defendant’s responses are called pleadings, and they set the stage for all that comes afterward in the lawsuit. In this class, learn how to prepare, file, serve and respond to civil case pleadings in California state courts.

Class covers:

• Is filing a lawsuit a good idea?
• Identifying possible legal theories
• Drafting the complaint
• Service of summons and complaint
• Answers and other responsive pleadings

Class approved for Court Interpreter Minimum Continuing Education (CIMCE) credit.

Presented by: Mary Garcia, Reference Librarian, LA Law Library (https://www.lalawlibrary.org/)

Registration fee: FREE

Reservation reserves spot

LA Law Library does not provide legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The information presented in this program is not legal advice and is provided solely as an educational service to our patrons. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

Thursday, February 23, 2023: 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 17, 2023: 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

A motion is how you request that a court order someone to do something in your lawsuit. Motions are made to obtain many types of orders: to postpone a trial to a later date, to modify an order for child support, to get a judgment without going to trial, to get a rehearing or a new trial, or for sanctions when a party breaks the rules (just to name a few). A motion for any of these orders can have a huge impact on your case. This class is intended to give an overview of how motions work in California state court and the rules of procedure that apply to making, filing, serving and opposing motions.

Class covers:

• What a motion is and why a motion may be important to your case
• When a motion is appropriate
• What is included in a motion
• How to get a motion on calendar and rules regarding service, filing and proper notice
• Requirements for “ex parte” (emergency) and oral motions, and when each of these is appropriate

Class approved for Court Interpreter Minimum Continuing Education (CIMCE) credit.

Presented by Katie O'Laughlin:

Katie O’Laughlin is a Reference & Research Librarian. In addition to earning her Masters of Science in Library Science from USC, Katie is a graduate of Loyola Law School. She began her career as a reference librarian and legal research instructor at Southwestern University School of Law and then practiced law for many years before opening an independent bookstore in the Los Angeles area. Returning to her roots in law librarianship at LA Law Library, Katie now provides reference services, leads the Library’s book discussion group, is in charge of lobby and other library displays, and teaches several classes.

Registration fee: FREE, Reservation reserves spot

LA Law Library does not provide legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The information presented in this program is not legal advice and is provided solely as an educational service to our patrons. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

Thursday, June 8, 2023: 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, November 30, 2023: 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

The process of discovery in a civil lawsuit allows a party to obtain information and documents relevant to the suit. This helps the parties know ahead of time what evidence might be presented at trial, or to resolve the case prior to trial. In this class, learn about subpoenas and requests for production (RFPs) in California state court civil cases, in order to discover written documents and other physical objects you might need to prove your case or defend yourself successfully.

Class covers:

• When to make requests for production (RFPs) and what you can ask for
• Responding or objecting to RFPs
• Motions to compel compliance, responses and further responses
• Subpoenas: obtaining records or testimony from non-parties
• Trial subpoenas and notices to appear at trial

Class approved for Court Interpreter Minimum Continuing Education (CIMCE) credit.

Registration fee: FREE, Reservation reserves spot

LA Law Library does not provide legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The information presented in this program is not legal advice and is provided solely as an educational service to our patrons. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

Thursday, March 30, 2023: 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 14, 2023: 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

A motion for summary judgment or summary adjudication allows a party to obtain judgment in their favor for an entire case or part of a case. These motions are based entirely on written submissions and avoid the time, expense, and uncertainty of a trial. Learn how to determine whether a summary judgment motion might be appropriate in your case, how to bring one before a California state court, and how to respond when one is brought against you.

Class covers:

• When summary judgment and summary adjudication are appropriate
• Timing and notice requirements
• Requirements for submitting evidence
• How to respond to this type of motion

Class approved for Court Interpreter Minimum Continuing Education (CIMCE) credit.

Presented by Ryan Metheny:

Ryan Metheny is the Managing Librarian, Legal Education at LA Law Library. After graduating from UCLA School of Law, Ryan practiced First Amendment law at a public interest firm in Berkeley. He then transitioned to librarianship to focus on his passions of research and education, and earned a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Washington. When not on the reference desk, Ryan coordinates the educational programming at the law library, the law student internship program, and the Members Program. He also teaches legal research at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.

Registration fee: FREE, Reservation reserves spot

LA Law Library does not provide legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The information presented in this program is not legal advice and is provided solely as an educational service to our patrons. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.