On Demand: Civil Lawsuit Basics: Subpoenas and RFPs: Getting Documents to Prove Your Case

Class recorded October 1, 2026

For updated information on e-filing and filing court documents in-person during COVID-19, please click here. If your case is being heard in California state superior court, please be sure to visit your court’s website for the most recent updates. L.A. Superior Court’s website is here.

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

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.

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.

Civil Lawsuit Basics: When, Why & How to Settle a Case

Class recorded March 23, 2020.

For updated information on e-filing and filing court documents in-person during COVID-19, please click here. If your case is being heard in California state superior court, please be sure to visit your court’s website for the most recent updates. L.A. Superior Court’s website is here.

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

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.

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.

Appeals: How the Court Process Works

Class recorded April 1, 2020

An appeal is very different from trial court proceedings. There are many misconceptions about how appeals work and what the appellate courts will consider. Learn what an appeal is, the steps to take to appeal a trial court decision and the importance of the concept of harmful, judicial error.

Class covers:

  • Appellate court structure
  • How the appellate court reviews the trial court's decision
  • Steps to appeal
  • The limits of appellate review
  • Designating the record

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. A staff member will email you the course materials (usually within one business day)."

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.

How to Access Government Records

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.

------ Video link will be posted soon ------

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.

Book Discussion: One Person, No Vote – How Voter Suppression is Destroying Our Democracy, by Carol Anderson

Tuesday June 23, 2020 6:30 pm via zoom.

Zoom invitation and link will be emailed to registrants prior to discussion.

Read the book and join the LALL book discussion group’s year-long exploration of voting rights Our voting rights are more important now than ever! In One Person, No Vote, Professor Anderson chronicles the rollbacks to African American participation in the vote since the 2013 Supreme Court decision that eviscerated the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Known as the Shelby ruling, this decision effectively allowed districts with a demonstrated history of racial discrimination to change voting requirements without approval from the Department of Justice.

Focusing on the aftermath of Shelby, Anderson follows the astonishing story of government-dictated racial discrimination unfolding before our very eyes as more and more states adopt voter suppression laws. In gripping, enlightening detail she explains how voter suppression works, from photo ID requirements to gerrymandering to poll closures. And with vivid characters, she explores the resistance: the organizing, activism, and court battles to restore the basic right to vote to all Americans.

Named one of the Best Books of the Year (2018) by:

  • Washington Post
  • Boston Globe
  • NPR
  • New York Public Library

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