Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018   1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Are you thinking of appealing the trial court decision in your civil lawsuit? Do you know the purpose of an appeal? Do you know the basics of court procedure? Learn about the appeals process from clerks at the California Court of Appeal who have extensive experience providing assistance to unrepresented litigants.

Class covers:

• The purpose of an appeal
• Deadlines and calendaring
• Where and how to file
• Brief writing
• And more!

Presented by:
Derrick Sanders, Deputy Clerk at the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District
Sina Lui, Deputy Clerk at the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District

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, October 22, 2019: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

The Legislature recently passed Senate Bill 1421, making many types of police personnel files available to anyone through a California Public Records Act request. Learn the current state of the law and how to access police personnel files.

Formerly, such records were only available through specified court procedures like Pitchess motions, which imposed stringent requirements. However, the new law relaxed those requirements, but implementation has been complex and there have been numerous court challenges to the law's scope and validity.

Presented by:
David A. Katz, Managing Attorney, Katz & Associates
Nikhil Damle, Associate, Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley

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 Oct. 25, 2018   1:30 p.m. – 2:30 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 resource sand tools are available to you and how to negotiate effectively to get the best possible result without having to go to trial.

This 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

Taught by seasoned attorneys with extensive settlement experience.

Presented by:
Sandra Levin, Executive Director, LA Law Library (https://www.lalawlibrary.org/)
Barrie Roberts, ADR Administrator, LA Superior Court (www.lacourt.org)

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, Oct. 25, 2018   2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

The heart of an appeal is a well-written brief. This training provides one-on-one assistance with writing, rewriting and formatting a brief and provides tips to avoid common mistakes in legal writing. Library resources for brief-writing will also be covered.

What to bring to the workshop:
This class involves one-on-one instruction and review of drafts. If you are working on a draft, bring two copies – one for you and one for the volunteer attorney. Please bring a pen or pencil and your reading glasses (if you need them).

IMPORTANT NOTE: This workshop is exclusively for self-represented litigants who have reached the stage of an appeal where they are ready to draft a brief. Only those who have been pre-screened by the Appellate Self-Help Clinic at the Court of Appeal may participate. To be admitted to the workshop attendees must present a written referral form from the Clinic.

The Appellate Self-Help Clinic is located on the Second Floor of the North Tower of the Ronald Reagan State Building, across from the Clerk's Office at 300 South Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles. The Clinic's hours of operation are:

• Most Wednesdays - 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• The last Wednesday of each month - 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ONLY.

If you cannot visit the clinic, you may obtain a referral by emailing the staff attorney. The staff attorney's email address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please include "Requesting referral to 10/25 Individualized Help Writing an Appellate Brief" in the subject line.

Presented by:
Tyna Orren, Certified Specialist, Appellate Law, Orren & Orren

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 Law Library is pleased to offer our patrons the opportunity to obtain assistance from third party legal service providers at this and other events within the Library. However, the Library does not control and is not responsible for the content or scope of any assistance given by those providers.