Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

A civil lawsuit starts with the filing and service of a written complaint; the defendant must then file an answer or other response. These 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 court.

 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:

Mary Garcia, Librarian, Reference & Research, LA Law Library (https://www.lalawlibrary.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. 26, 2023 | Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

The two pillars of a case on appeal are the appellate records and the briefs. The record consists of the documents filed in the trial court (the “Clerk’s Transcript”), plus a record of the oral proceedings in the courtroom (the “Reporter’s Transcript” or a substitute). The briefs are written legal arguments that present a party’s position on appeal.

Class covers:

• The purpose, content and importance of the Clerk’s and Reporter’s Transcripts
• How to designate a record that is adequate to help the appellate court assess error
• The purpose and contents of an appellate brief
• What rules guide the appellate court’s decision about whether the trial court decision should be reversed
• The different, and equally essential roles of the factual history and the legal arguments in a brief
• Format, filing and service requirements
• Deadlines and time limits

Presented by: Zoe Dolan, Supervising Staff Attorney, Public Counsel (https://publiccounsel.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. 26, 2023 | Time: 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: Melissa Real, Deputy Clerk at the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District (http://www.courts.ca.gov/2dca.htm) 

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.

Class recorded October 26, 2023

Having an eviction on your record can make it very difficult to get new housing. Join an attorney from Public Counsel to learn about how to look up what is on your record, and how to petition the court to seal your old eviction cases (i.e., make the records private). 

 Class covers:

• How to look up past eviction records
• Which records are eligible to be sealed (removed from the public record)
• What the process is to ask to have records sealed
• How to petition a court to seal the records
• How sealing the records can help with obtaining housing

Although you can listen to the class from various kinds of devices, you will need video to view the speaker(s) and any presentation materials and the ability to type on your device and use Zoom to ask questions or use the chat features.

Presented by:

Sarah Rogozen (https://publiccounsel.org/staff/sarah-rogozen/), Staff Attorney, Public Counsel

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.