Thursday, January 9, 2020:  12:00 p.m. – 1:30 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

Presented by: Michael Schiller

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.

Thursday,January 30, 2020:  12:00 p.m. - 1:30 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

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.

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.

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.