In recent years, we have seen a disturbing increase in the level of incivility in public discourse and the legal profession. This program will address civility in the practice of law from the judicial perspective, considering questions such as: What do judges expect? Why is civility important? Why are personal attacks, insults, and taunts a poor strategy for advocacy? And what tools can judges use to deal with incivility? The program will also discuss standards for civility in the practice of law and how to deal with uncivil opposing counsel.

Earn 1.0 hour California participatory MCLE credit in subtopic of Civility

MCLE Disclaimer: MCLE credit is only granted to attorneys licensed to practice law by the State Bar of California. Attorneys from other jurisdictions should contact their state bar to learn about credit reciprocity.

Presented by: Judge Mark A. Juhas and Judge Robert B. Broadbelt:

Judge Mark A. Juhas sits in a general family law assignment on the Los Angeles Superior Court. He is the immediate past chair of the California Commission on Access to Justice. For the California Judicial Council, he has been on the CJER Governing Committee and the immediate past Co-chair of the Family and Juvenile Advisory Committee; he was a member of the Elkins Family Law Task Force, Elkins Family Law Implementation Task Force and Self- Represented Litigant Task Force. He recently received a lifetime achievement award from the Family Law Section of the State Bar, a Distinguished Service Award from the California Judicial Council, and the Aranda Access to Justice award from the Judicial Council, among other honors.

Robert Broadbelt is a Judge of the Superior Court of the State of California, for the County of Los Angeles. His current assignment is in the Civil Division of the court, in an Unlimited Civil -- Individual Calendar courtroom at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. Before being appointed to the bench in 2012, Judge Broadbelt spent most of his legal career as a partner in the law firm of Browne Woods George, LLP, where his practice was devoted to complex business litigation with an emphasis on unfair competition and trade secrets. Judge Broadbelt received his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and his J.D. from the USC Gould School of Law.

Registration fee: $20

Tuesday, February 25, 2025: 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

This class will be hosted on ZOOM

Join the LA Law Library book discussion group as we explore issues relating to the United States Supreme Court.  Our first discussion of 2025 will be on Tuesday Feb. 25, 2025 at 6:30 pm on Zoom to discuss The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic, by Stephen Vladeck.  Vladeck is a professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center and is a nationally recognized expert on the federal courts, the Supreme Court, national security law, and military justice.  He argues in the book that the court has increasingly delivered rulings by means of the “shadow docket” – unsigned orders with no position or legal analysis attached and comprised of shorthand language, which can result in the court enforcing unpopular legal rulings without attaching responsibility or rendering a concrete decision.  Vladeck’s arguments against the walled-off court are persuasive and timely and leave much to ponder and discuss!

Presented by: Katie O’Laughlin, Managing Librarian, Reference & Collections

Registration fee: FREE!  Register to receive Zoom link

Class recorded September 17, 2024

Are city ordinances unconstitutional that prohibit people from camping on public sidewalks and parkland, when those people have nowhere else to go? Can the Eighth Amendment, banning cruel and unusual punishment, be applied to contravene fines, arrests, and other enforcements that criminalize involuntary homelessness? This event will review decisions rendered by America’s courts in considering these complex questions, and reflect on the promises and limitations of the Constitution in addressing policy issues related to poverty and housing insecurity. 

Presented by: Shayla Myers, Senior Attorney at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles' Unhoused People's Justice Project

Registration fee: FREE

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, 2025: 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 27, 2025: 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 24, 2025: 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 22, 2025: 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 26, 2025: 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

---CLASS WILL BE HELD VIA ZOOM WEBINAR. ZOOM INFORMATION WILL BE EMAILED TO REGISTRANTS PRIOR TO CLASS START TIME ---

Join a live question and answer session with an experienced probate (inheritance) and wills & trusts (estate planning) attorney. Subjects covered will include how to ensure that your money and property pass to your heirs the way you want and with as little trouble and expense as possible (wills and trusts, or estate planning), and the legal process of distributing a person’s cash, property, and other assets after they die (probate and inheritance). Attend and ask questions about how to plan ahead for yourself or a family member, or figure out what to do after a loved one’s death.  

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 will need to connect through a Zoom account to be able to participate in the written Q&A or chat features.

 Presented by: Bryan Hathorn, Attorney, Law Office of Bryan Hathorn

 Registration fee: FREE

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.