Thursday, November 8, 2018: 12:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.

The process of discovery in a civil lawsuit allows a party to obtain information and documents relevant to the suit, which helps the parties know ahead of time what evidence might be presented at trial, or to resolve the case prior to trial through settlement or summary judgment. This class explores when and how to use two important types of discovery requests, interrogatories and requests for admission, in California state court.

Class covers:

• The purpose of interrogatories (questions to another party regarding contentions, facts, witnesses and documents in the case)
• The purpose of requests for admissions (statements another party must deny or admit)
• Common uses for these discovery tools
• How to use form interrogatories and requests for admission, and when to bring motions to compel responses
• How to respond to these discovery requests, including making appropriate objections

Presented by Sandra Levin:
Sandra Levin is the Executive Director of LA Law Library, responsible for the conduct and oversight of its operations, including direction and implementation of programs, activities and policies. Prior to becoming Executive Director, Ms. Levin was a civil litigator for more than 25 years, practicing in administrative, state and federal courts. Ms. Levin was a founding principal of Colantuono & Levin, a law firm specializing in the representation of local government agencies. While at the firm, she served as the City Attorney of several local municipalities and as special and general counsel to other public agencies, including the Law Library. Earlier in her career, Ms. Levin also served as Mayor, Councilmember and Planning Commission Chair for the City of Culver City. Ms. Levin received her J.D. from the University of California, Boalt Hall School of Law in 1987 where she was a member of the California Law Review.

Registration fee: $20
Non-refundable, payment reserves spot
Parking options available during registration

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.

Tuesday, June 25, 2019: 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Join the LA Law Library book discussion group as we explore the theme of "Women and the Law" with a discussion of Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics, and the Sterilization of Carrie Buck, by Adam Cohen. Imbiciles tells the story of the United States Supreme Court's infamous 1927 Buck v Bell decision that a state statute permitting compulsory sterilization of the "unfit", including the intellectually disabled, "for the protection and health of the state" did not violate the due process clause of the 14th amendment to the Constitution. The 8-1 decision allowed the sterilization of a young woman it thought to be "feebleminded" and supported the mass eugenic sterilization of "undesirable citizens" for the greater good of the country. Some of the most revered figures in American law participated in the decision, including Chief Justice William Howard Taft (former U.S. President), Louis Brandeis, a progressive icon, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, considered by many to be the greatest Supreme Court justice in history. Holmes wrote the majority opinion which concluded with the infamous statement "three generations of imbeciles are enough." The Supreme Court has never expressly overruled the case.

Presented by: Katie O'Laughlin, Managing Librarian, LA Law Library

Registration Fee: FREE
Register today to reserve your seat!
The first 10 registrants will be eligible to receive a complimentary copy of Imbeciles, courtesy of Penguin Random House.

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, November 15, 2018  12:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.

Oral depositions are a powerful discovery tool used to collect valuable information from both parties and witnesses in a civil lawsuit. Depositions take testimony under oath and preserve it for use in motions, settlements avenues, and at trial. This class will focus on California state court rules and procedures for noticing a deposition, taking and preserving testimony, and helpful strategies for incorporating the information obtained into use at trial or settlement.

Class covers:
Requirements and service of notice; travel limits
Using a deposition subpoena to obtain discovery from a non-party
Responding to a notice of deposition
Conducting a deposition; objections; compelling attendance
Use of deposition testimony

Presented by Christine Langteau:
Christine Langteau is a reference and research librarian. She has a B.A. degree in Social Welfare from SDSU and a certificate from the University of San Diego's Lawyer Assistant Program. Christine worked as a paralegal for 20 years mainly in litigation where responding to, drafting, and summarizing discovery was a large part of her work. She received her MLIS from SJSU in 2009 and first worked in the Pomona branch of the law library before joining the reference staff at the main library. Christine gives tours of the law library to paralegal students, responds to prison inmate mail, and teaches Introduction to Print Resources, Finding Forms, Lawsuits in Superior Court, Discovery: Facts, Witnesses and Documents, and the Paralegal-Lit class.

Registration fee: $20
Non-refundable, payment reserves spot
Parking options available during registration

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.

This class will explore your right to government information in California, and the processes and procedures for obtaining public records from state and local agencies. Topics include what constitutes a public record, deadlines and timeframes, exemptions for confidential and other materials and how to formulate an effective request.

Class covers:

• Importance of the Public Records Act, and why we need it
• What constitutes a public record
• Deadlines and timeframes
• Exemptions for confidential and other materials
• How to formulate an effective request

Course Materials: If you would like to receive a copy of the course materials for any of the classes, including any PowerPoint used, please register at the Register Now! button for the class, provided below.

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Video Recordings: We recognize that not everyone can attend in person classes, so even if you can't make it in, please watch any of these recordings and remember that we are still here to help! Call us at (213) 785-2513, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or chat with us online to get help finding information and resources on any legal (or not-quite-legal) question. Access to the video recordings is free.

Dated Material: Please note that the law changes. The original recording date for each class is provided on the display page. To be certain that you receive up-to-date information, please attend the in-person class, or contact us for help researching or updating your specific legal issue.

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.