Thursday, February 26, 2026, 12:00 p.m. - 1:15 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” (vacate 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

Class approved for Court Interpreter Minimum Continuing Education (CIMCE) credit.

Wednesday, February 25, 2026: 12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Learn how to evaluate and use free sources of legal information online. This class also introduces select low cost websites for researching California and federal law. 

Class covers:

• How to search for bills, codes, regulations, and case law on the open Web
• Sources for Los Angeles City and County law and government
• General legal research sites, including Google Scholar and FindLaw for Legal Professionals

Presented by LA Law Library Reference Librarians