LIVE ZOOM: Civil Lawsuit Basics: How to File and Respond to a Complaint
Thursday, January 29, 2026, 12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
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A civil lawsuit starts with the filing and service of a written complaint. The complaint serves many purposes, including to identify the parties involved in the lawsuit, the plaintiff’s reason for filing a lawsuit, and the type of relief being 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
Class approved for Court Interpreter Minimum Continuing Education (CIMCE) credit.
Developed by practicing attorneys and presented by LA Law Library Reference Librarians
Registration fee: FREE
Reservation reserves spot
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.
Last Updated: Friday, 09 January 2026 10:39
Hits: 486
LIVE ZOOM: Ask a Lawyer: Is this Civil Harassment?
Thursday, December 4, 2025: 5:00 p.m.– 6:00 p.m.
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If you or someone you love is experiencing abuse, violence or threats of violence outside of a dating or close personal relationship, that might be civil harassment. Join a live question and answer session with experienced civil litigation attorneys. At this session, learn what civil harassment is and isn’t – and what you can do about it. Ask questions about who qualifies for a civil harassment restraining order (CHRO), how to apply to the court for a CHRO, including what to expect at the court hearing, what a CHRO can do and other procedural topics.
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 Zoom to be able to participate in the written Q&A or chat features.
Presented in partnership with the L.A. Incubator Consortium (Los Angeles Attorney Incubator Consortium (laincubatorconsortium.com)
ZOOM LINK:
| https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88123826063 |
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
Last Updated: Monday, 24 November 2025 10:23
Hits: 3822
LIVE ZOOM: Validating Caselaw with Citators
Wednesday, May 20, 2026: 12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Class has been cancelled for Wednesday, May 20, 2026. You can view the on-demand version of the class here
Learn how to use citator tools—such as Shepard’s in Lexis+ and KeyCite in Westlaw—to make sure your cases remain good law, and find additional citations relevant to your legal question.
Class covers:
- Why validate? Using citator tools to help determine “good law”
- How to use Shepard’s on Lexis+ and KeyCite on Westlaw
- Review of Shepard’s signals and KeyCite symbols
Presented by LA Law Library Reference Librarians
No legal advice:
LA Law Library provides access to legal resources and assistance with legal research. LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.
Last Updated: Monday, 18 May 2026 15:11
Hits: 2269
LIVE ZOOM: Using Legal Databases
Wednesday, March 25, 2026: 12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
The class is cancelled. You can view the on-demand version of the class here: https://www.lalawlibrary.org/hidden-classes/2389-on-demand-using-legal-databases.
--- No pre-registration required. To join the live-Zoom on the date/time of event, scroll down and click the Zoom link provided. ---
Learn fundamental research strategies in two of the Law Library’s most useful legal databases, Westlaw and Lexis+. Gain tips on how to perform caselaw research, validate primary sources, and access secondary sources digitally.
Class covers:
Using the Westlaw or Lexis+ legal database to…
- Formulate search queries
- Filter search results
- Find primary sources such as cases and codes
- Find secondary sources such as legal practice guides
Presented by LA Law Library Reference Librarians
Use this link to join on the date and time of the event: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86104554158
No legal advice: LA Law Library provides access to legal resources and assistance with legal research. LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.
Last Updated: Tuesday, 24 March 2026 11:11
Hits: 2604
ON DEMAND: Using Legal Databases
Class recorded November 6, 2025
Learn fundamental research strategies in two of the Law Library’s most useful legal databases, Westlaw and Lexis+. Gain tips on how to perform caselaw research, validate primary sources, and access secondary sources digitally.
Class covers:
Using the Westlaw or Lexis+ legal database to…
- Formulate search queries
- Filter search results
- Find primary sources such as cases and codes
- Find secondary sources such as legal practice guides
Presented by: LA Law Library Reference Librarians
Registration fees: FREE
Course Materials: If you would like to receive a copy of the course materials for any of the classes, including any PowerPoint used, please register at the Register Now! button for the class, provided below. A staff member will email you the course materials (usually within one business day)."
Video Recordings: We recognize that not everyone can attend in person classes, so even if you can't make it in, please watch any of these recordings and remember that we are still here to help! Call us at (213) 785-2513, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or chat with us online to get help finding information and resources on any legal (or not-quite-legal) question. Access to the video recordings is free.
Dated Material: Please note that the law changes. The original recording date for each class is provided on the display page. To be certain that you receive up-to-date information, please attend the in-person class, or contact us for help researching or updating your specific legal issue.
Last Updated: Friday, 14 November 2025 09:08
Hits: 1475
