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The rules for case assignment and trial preparation in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. It covers topics such as mandatory judicial arbitration and mediation, factors considered for case assignment, and trial preparation procedures. Counsel must serve and file lists of pre-marked exhibits, jury instruction requests, trial witness lists, and a proposed short statement of the case before the final status conference.
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Page 43 of 214 Local Rules – Effective January 1, 2022
This chapter applies to all civil limited and unlimited cases within the Civil Division of the court. As used in this chapter, the term “counsel” includes self-represented litigants. (Local Rule 1.1). (Rule 3.1 new and effective July 1, 2011)
The Supervising Judge, or his or her designee, shall decide whether the civil limited and unlimited cases in a particular district will be assigned to a direct calendar, master calendar, or Specialized Civil Court. (Rule 3.2 [ 7/1/2011, 5/17/2013 ] amended and effective July 1, 2020)
3.3 ASSIGNMENT OF DIRECT CALENDAR CASES (a) Proportionate Assignment. A pro rata share of all cases filed in or transferred to any district shall be assigned for all purposes to each judge assigned to hear direct calendar cases in that district. (b) Regulation of Case Assignment. The clerk must take all reasonably appropriate steps, including a system of random use of case numbers, to ensure that neither any party nor any counsel will be able to anticipate a case assignment. The name of the judge to whom the case is assigned will be designated by the clerk on the summons and the complaint. (c) Notice of Case Assignment. At the time that a civil case is filed, the clerk must provide a Notice of Case Assignment, which must indicate the name of the judge to whom the case has been assigned. Each plaintiff (and cross-complainant) must serve a copy of the notice, with the complaint (and cross-complaint), and give notice of any date set for a case management or status conference. (d) Improper Refiling. A party must not dismiss and then refile a case for the purpose of obtaining a different judge. Whenever a case is dismissed by a party or by the court prior to judgment and a new action is later filed containing the same or essentially the same claims and the same or essentially the same parties, the new action will be assigned, unless the Supervising Judge for good cause orders otherwise, to the judge to whom the first case had been assigned. When multiple cases involving the same or essentially the same claims, and the same or essentially the same parties, are filed on the same date, the cases shall be assigned to the judge to whom the low numbered case (or first filed case) has been assigned, whether or not that case has been dismissed. (e) Duty of Counsel. Every counsel in the second action referred to in subdivision (d) above must immediately bring the fact of the dismissal and refiling to the attention of the court. Counsel for plaintiff or cross-complainant (if the earlier action is renewed in a cross-complaint) must do so at the time that pleading is filed. Counsel for all other parties must do so upon their first appearance, or as soon thereafter as they discover the facts. The notice must be given in a “Notice of Related Case” as provided in California Rules of Court, rule 3.300.
Page 44 of 214 Local Rules – Effective January 1, 2022
(f) Related Cases. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.300.) (1) Where one of the cases listed in a Notice of Related Cases has been assigned to a Complex Litigation department, the judge in the Complex Litigation department shall determine whether the cases will be ordered related and assigned to the Complex Litigation department; (2) Where the cases listed in a Notice of Related Cases contains a probate or family law case, Department 1 shall determine whether the cases shall be ordered related and, if so, to which department they shall be assigned if the cases are all pending in the Central District or pending in two different districts. If the cases are all pending in one district that is other than the Central District, the Supervising Judge of that district shall determine whether the cases shall be ordered related and, if so, to which department they shall be assigned. In addition to filing the Notice of Related Cases in the departments of all pending cases, a copy of the Notice of Related Cases must be filed in Department 1 for matters to be determined in Department 1, and in the courtroom of the Supervising Judge of a district if the matter is to be determined by the Supervising Judge of that district; (3) In the event that the judge designated under California Rules of Court, rule 3.300(h)(1)(A)(B)(C) to make the decision, does not order related any of the cases set forth in the Notice of Related Cases, any party may file a motion to have the cases related. Department 1 shall hear the motion, if the cases are all pending in the Central District or are pending in two or more different districts. If the cases are all pending in one district that is other than the Central District, the motion shall be heard by the Supervising Judge of that district. The motion must be served on each party in every case listed in the Notice of Related Cases, with proof of service attached; and (4) Complex cases. Under California Rules of Court, rule 3.300(h)(3), the provisions in (3) of this subdivision do not apply in cases that have been designated as complex by the parties or determined to be complex by the court. (g) Consolidation of Cases. (1) Cases may not be consolidated unless they are in the same department. A motion to consolidate two or more cases may be noticed and heard after the cases, initially filed in different departments, have been related into a single department, or if the cases were already assigned to that department. (2) Upon consolidation of cases, the first filed case will be the lead case, unless otherwise ordered by the court. After consolidation, all future papers to be filed in the consolidated case must be filed only in the case designated as the lead case. (3) Before consolidation of a limited case with an unlimited case, the limited case must be reclassified as an unlimited case and the reclassification fee paid. (h) Coordination of Non-Complex Cases. A civil case which is not complex as defined by Standard 3.10 of the Standards of Judicial Administration may be transferred to the court from a superior court in another county, if it involves a common question of fact or law within the meaning of Code of Civil Procedure section 403. The coordination motion shall be made in compliance with the procedures established by California Rules of Court, rule 3.500. Coordination motions seeking to transfer a case or cases to the Central District shall be filed and heard in Department 1. Coordination motions seeking to transfer a case or cases to a district other than the Central District shall be heard by the Supervising Judge in that district. (i) Assignment for All Purposes. Cases are assigned for all purposes, including trial. Except as the Presiding Judge may otherwise direct, each judge shall schedule, hear and decide all matters for each case assigned.