Court Rules

Court-wide rules

Applies court-wide

These 188 rules apply across Los Angeles Superior Court. Where this judge's own standing orders above address the same topic, the judge's requirement controls.

Filing Requirements

All 60
  • Applies to
    Joint isc statement

    Upon assignment to Department 11, an ISC Order stays all proceedings and the parties must submit a joint ISC statement as directed in that Order.

  • Applies to
    Joint status conference statement

    The parties must file a joint statement outlining recent progress in the case before every status conference.

  • Applies to
    Bulletin board posting

    Parties must make joint bulletin board postings rather than unilateral postings, which are treated as prohibited ex parte communications.

Filing Timing

All 28
  • Deadline
    5 business days

    The joint status conference statement must be filed at least five court days before every status conference.

  • The Court's order scheduling an IDC stays any deadline to file a motion to compel under CCP 2016.080(c)(2).

  • The Court cannot shorten the notice period for summary judgment/adjudication motions, though it may hear such motions fewer than 30 days before trial.

Communication

All 20
  • Contact
    Phone to chambers
    Phone
    (213) 310-7011

    To reserve a hearing date for a motion, a party must telephone the Courtroom Assistant at (213) 310-7011.

  • Contact
    Phone to chambers

    The moving party must notify the Court as early as possible that a matter will go off calendar under CRC 3.1306(b), by posting the announcement on the e-service bulletin board and telephoning the courtroom.

  • Contact
    Phone

    Parties at an impasse during a deposition may telephone the courtroom at (213) 310-7011 to arrange an immediate conference call with the Court.

Pre-Motion Conferences

All 18
  • For discovery disputes (other than deposition impasses), parties may request an informal conference by making a joint posting on the e-service bulletin board.

  • Before preparing an ex parte application for emergency relief, parties must post a joint request for an informal conference on the e-service bulletin board and contact courtroom staff to obtain a time and date.

  • Parties must meet and confer twice by telephone or video before requesting an IDC, and are expected to extend motion-to-compel deadlines to accommodate the process.

About Judge Colin Leis

Judge Colin Leis is a judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, the state trial court serving Los Angeles County. The court handles a wide range of civil, criminal, family, and probate matters.

Judge Leis's procedures are published through the court's general rules.

Common questions about Judge Colin Leis's rules

Are courtesy copies required for Judge Colin Leis?

Department 735 does not require courtesy copies for most filings, except for trial documents, motions in limine, and trial exhibits, unless the court orders otherwise.

View ruleSource: page 1, section 1. Motions

Does Judge Colin Leis require a pre-motion conference or letter before filing a motion?

Judge Colin Leis's rules set a pre-motion procedure for discovery. Parties must meet and confer in good faith before filing a discovery motion, and either party may request an informal discovery conference before filing if both agree.

View ruleSource: page 4, section 5. Discovery Disputes and Informal Discovery Conferences

What formatting rules apply to filings before Judge Colin Leis?

Judge Colin Leis' formatting rule includes binding tabbed 3-ring, four sets prepared jointly (set for the court, a set for the judicial assistant, a set for the witnesses), tabbed, internally paginated by document, properly-marked exhibits, and organized numerically. Parties must jointly prepare four sets of tabbed, internally paginated, properly-marked exhibits organized numerically in three-ring binders.

View ruleSource: page 19, section EXHIBIT BINDERS

What must be included with proposed sealing order filings before Judge Colin Leis?

The rule identifies required filing content or certificates. Proposed sealing orders must state non-conclusory, express facts supporting sealing, separately identify each proposed redaction by document name, page, and line number, and include a 'Granted'/'Denied' ruling space for the court.

View ruleSource: page 2, section 2. Motions to Seal

What must be included with opposition reply filings before Judge Colin Leis?

The rule requires caption. Opposition and reply papers to motions in limine must identify the corresponding motion number in their captions.

View ruleSource: page 11, section MOTIONS IN LIMINE

How may parties contact Judge Colin Leis' chambers?

The rule addresses email communications with Judge Colin Leis' chambers. The rule lists email smcdept735@lacourt.org. Proposed sealing orders must be emailed to Department 735's email service account at least 15 days before the motion to seal hearing.

View ruleSource: page 2, section 2. Motions to Seal

How do I request an adjournment or extension before Judge Colin Leis?

Advance notice is not fully stated in the structured details. The responding party is expected to grant the moving party a reasonable extension of time to file a discovery motion to allow scheduling of an informal discovery conference.

View ruleSource: page 4, section 5. Discovery Disputes and Informal Discovery Conferences

Does Judge Colin Leis require motion papers to be bundled?

Yes. Judge Colin Leis requires bundling for covered papers. Parties must deliver joint motion-in-limine binders and joint trial binders to Department 735 at least five court days before the final status conference.

View ruleSource: page 4, section 6. Trial Preparation Order

Is electronic filing required before Judge Colin Leis?

Yes. Electronic filing is required for the covered filings. All filings must be electronically filed unless the filer is a self-represented litigant or otherwise exempted from mandatory electronic filing.

View ruleSource: page 1, section 1. Motions

When is a filing treated as filed before Judge Colin Leis?

The rule states a 10:00 AM filing cutoff. Ex parte applications and supporting documents must be electronically filed no later than 10:00 a.m. the day before the ex parte hearing.

View ruleSource: page 3, section 3. Ex Parte Applications
Complete rules summary for Judge Colin Leis

All filings must be electronically filed unless the filer is a self-represented litigant or otherwise exempted from mandatory electronic filing.

Department 735 does not require courtesy copies for most filings, except for trial documents, motions in limine, and trial exhibits, unless the court orders otherwise.

Proposed sealing orders must be emailed to Department 735's email service account at least 15 days before the motion to seal hearing.

The proposed sealing order must be MS-Word editable.

Proposed sealing orders must state non-conclusory, express facts supporting sealing, separately identify each proposed redaction by document name, page, and line number, and include a 'Granted'/'Denied' ruling space for the court.

The moving party must lodge the red-lined documents subject to the proposed sealing order with Department 735 no later than three days after filing the motion to seal.

Opposition and reply papers to motions in limine must identify the corresponding motion number in their captions.

Ex parte applications and supporting documents must be electronically filed, with exceptions for self-represented litigants and other persons excused from electronic filing.

Ex parte applications and supporting documents must be electronically filed no later than 10:00 a.m. the day before the ex parte hearing.

Written opposition to an ex parte application must be electronically filed by 8:30 a.m. the day of the ex parte hearing.

Parties must meet and confer in good faith before filing a discovery motion, and either party may request an informal discovery conference before filing if both agree.

The responding party is expected to grant the moving party a reasonable extension of time to file a discovery motion to allow scheduling of an informal discovery conference.

Informal discovery conference requests must be made using form LACIV 094 with a hearing date reserved on the Court Reservation System.

The LACIV 094 form must describe the discovery dispute in font no smaller than 12-point, double or one-and-a-half spaced, and no attachments are allowed.

Parties must deliver joint motion-in-limine binders and joint trial binders to Department 735 at least five court days before the final status conference.

After e-lodging a document that requires court action, parties should not call court staff about its status; they should follow the document's progress on the court's Website instead.

Exhibit binders need not be prepared or delivered until the first day of trial.

Parties must exchange all trial exhibits no later than 18 calendar days before the Final Status Conference.

Parties must meet and confer no later than 11 calendar days before the Final Status Conference to prepare required trial documents and binders.

Trial briefs, the joint witness list, and the joint exhibit list must be filed and served no later than five court days before the Final Status Conference.

Each party must file a trial brief succinctly identifying the claims and defenses in dispute, the major legal issues with authorities, the relief and damages calculation, and any other helpful information.

Parties must jointly prepare and file a joint witness list of all witnesses intended to be called at trial, excluding impeachment and rebuttal witnesses; witnesses not on the list are subject to exclusion except for impeachment or rebuttal, and a party must show good cause to call an unlisted witness.

Witnesses not on the joint witness list are subject to exclusion from testifying except for impeachment or rebuttal, and a party seeking to call an unlisted witness must first show good cause to the court.

Parties must jointly prepare and file a joint exhibit list with specified columns for each exhibit offered at trial, including stipulations to authentication and admissibility, objections, and marking/admission dates.

When deposition or former trial testimony will be used, counsel and self-represented parties must meet and confer and jointly file a deposition designation chart.

Designation columns in the joint chart must include witness number/name, date and type of testimony, page/line designations, objections, counter-designation status, and the court's ruling.

Counter-designation columns in the joint chart must include witness number/name, date and type of testimony, page/line counter-designations, objections, the related designation number, and the court's ruling.

Transcript pages for deposition/trial designation must be submitted with numbered tabs separating each transcript and each designation highlighted using a distinct color per party.

Motions in limine must be noticed for hearing at the Final Status Conference.

Motions in limine must comply with CCP §1005 notice provisions and include declarations meeting LR 3.57(a) requirements.

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