Civil Lawsuit Basics: Making and Opposing Motions

Thursday, June 14, 2018: 12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

A motion is the way a litigant requests a court order and may be made at any time while an action is pending and the relief sought is appropriate. Motion can have a huge impact on your case. This class is intended to give an overview of motion practice 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 law and motion practice is an important part of 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, noticed and oral motions, and when each is appropriate

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, is involved with the Members Program, the law school internship program, and teaches several classes.

No legal advice:
LA Law Library provides access to legal resources and assistance with legal research. LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

Registration fees: $20 for the class
Non-refundable payment reserves seat
Parking options available during registration

Civil Lawsuit Basics: Getting Another Party to Answer Questions in Writing

Thursday, July 12, 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.

No legal advice:
LA Law Library provides access to legal resources and assistance with legal research. LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

Registration fees: $20 for the class
Non-refundable payment reserves seat
Parking options available during registration

Civil Lawsuit Basics: How to Make and Oppose Motions (Torrance)

Thursday, February 13, 2020:  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 law and motion practice is an important part of 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

Presented by: Seth Davidson

Location:
Torrance Courthouse, 1st Floor
825 Maple Street, Room 110
Torrance, CA 90503   (424)201-0748

Registration fee: $20
Non-refundable, payment reserves spot
Free parking in the Torrance Civic Center parking lot. Walk-ins welcome!
Forms of payment accepted: Visa, MC, AMEX (no checks or cash please!)

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

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.

Civil Lawsuit Basics: Subpoenas and RFPs: Getting Documents to Prove Your Case (Torrance)

Thursday, February 27, 2020:  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

Presented by: Carolin Shining

Location:
Torrance Courthouse, 1st Floor
825 Maple Street, Room 110
Torrance, CA 90503   (424)201-0748

Registration fee: $20
Non-refundable, payment reserves spot
Free parking in the Torrance Civic Center parking lot. Walk-ins welcome!
Forms of payment accepted: Visa, MC, AMEX (no checks or cash please!)

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

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.

Civil Lawsuit Basics: Interrogatories and RFAs: Getting Another Party to Answer Questions in Writing (Torrance)

Thursday, March 12, 2020:  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. This class explores when and how to use two different tools for getting a party to a lawsuit to answer questions in writing – interrogatories and requests for admission ("RFAs") – in California state court civil cases.

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 (RFAs – statements another party must deny or admit)
  • Common uses for these discovery tools
  • How to use official "form" interrogatories and requests for admission
  • When to bring motions to compel responses
  • How to respond to these discovery requests, including how to make appropriate objections

Presented by: Katherine Chew

Location:
Torrance Courthouse, 1st Floor
825 Maple Street, Room 110
Torrance, CA 90503   (424)201-0748

Registration fee: $20
Non-refundable, payment reserves spot
Free parking in the Torrance Civic Center parking lot. Walk-ins welcome!
Forms of payment accepted: Visa, MC, AMEX (no checks or cash please!)

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

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.

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