Thursday, April 16, 2020:  12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

More than 90% of civil cases settle or are dismissed prior to trial, yet most litigants spend very little time thinking about whether or how to settle their cases. Learn when settlement makes sense, what resources and tools are available to you and how to negotiate effectively to get the best possible result without the uncertainty, time, and expense of taking a case all the way to trial.

Class covers:

• How to frame your case in the best light
• Whether settlement makes sense for your case
• The role of a settlement officer or mediation
• How to prepare for a negotiation
• How to negotiate effectively
• When to make an offer
• How to decide what is a fair result
• Documenting your settlement so you are protected

Presented by: Michael Schiller, Attorney, Law Offices of Michael I. Schiller

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

Registration fee: FREE
Registration 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.

Due to COVID-19, This class wil be broadcast online. Registrants will be emailed the information.

Thursday, March 19, 2020:  12:15 p.m. - 1:45 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 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
Registration 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.

Due to COVID-19, This class wil be broadcast online. Information, including the link, will be posted on this page shortly. Registrants will also be emailed the information.

Friday, April 3, 2020:  12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Mistakes happen in the course of a civil lawsuit. For example, a defendant may fail to respond to a lawsuit within the required time, resulting in a "default," which terminates the rights of the defendant to dispute the allegations. Or, a plaintiff may fail to respond to a defense motion, resulting in dismissal of the lawsuit. In this class, learn how to get back on track by asking a judge to "set aside" (or undo) defaults and other mistakes in California state courts.

Class covers:

• California Code of Civil Procedure § 473: what it is, and why you need it
• When and how a party may seek relief from his or her mistakes
• What constitutes "default" and "dismissal," and what may be "set aside"
• Preparing a motion to vacate default

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

Presented by Austin Stoub:
Austin Stoub originally joined LA Law Library as a Reference intern in January of 2010. Upon receiving his MLIS from UCLA in June of 2010, he joined the staff full time as a Reference Librarian. Since that time, he has overseen development of the collection for all states except California, developed and taught a number of classes and has taken a role in operations at Circulation and Copy Center. After earning a BA in Political Science from Calvin College in 2001, he worked in various levels of government before entering UCLA School of Information Science in 2008.

Registration fee: FREE
Registration 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.

Thursday, April 16, 2020:  12:15 p.m. - 1:45 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
Registration 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.