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 Gary D. Roberts

Judge Gary D. Roberts is a judge on the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, the state trial court serving Los Angeles County.

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

Common questions about Judge Gary D. Roberts's rules

Are courtesy copies required for Judge Gary D. Roberts?

Courtesy-copy rule applies for motions. Details: delivery not specified. Printed courtesy copies must be submitted to the Court in certain instances as governed by the general Order re Mandatory Electronic Filing for Civil.

View ruleSource: page 2, section 3. Motions

Does Judge Gary D. Roberts require a pre-motion conference or letter before filing a motion?

Judge Gary D. Roberts's rules set a pre-motion procedure for covered motions. Motion hearing dates must be reserved in advance via the Court Reservation System (CRS) at www.lacourt.ca.gov, and motions are heard Monday through Friday.

View ruleSource: page 2, section 3. Motions

What page or word limits apply to joint report before Judge Gary D. Roberts?

Judge Gary D. Roberts' rule states these limits: 5 pages. The joint informal discovery conference report must not exceed five pages.

View ruleSource: page 6, section 7. Discovery Disputes

What page or word limits apply to trial brief before Judge Gary D. Roberts?

Judge Gary D. Roberts' rule states these limits: 10 pages. In all trials, each party must file a trial brief limited to 10 pages.

View ruleSource: page 9, section A. TRIAL BRIEFS

What formatting rules apply to filings before Judge Gary D. Roberts?

Judge Gary D. Roberts' formatting rule includes prepared on superior court of los angeles county form sclac laciv 129 or in a word document in the same format. Proposed jury instructions must be prepared on Superior Court of Los Angeles County form SCLAC LACIV 129 or in a Word document in the same format (sentence truncated in source).

View ruleSource: page 11, section F. Jury Instructions (Joint and Contested)

What must be included with ex parte application filings before Judge Gary D. Roberts?

The rule identifies required filing content or certificates. Ex parte applications must comply with California Rules of Court, rules 3.1200-3.1207.

View ruleSource: page 4

What must be included with trial brief filings before Judge Gary D. Roberts?

The rule identifies required filing content or certificates. Each trial brief must identify the disputed claims and defenses, major legal issues with supporting authorities, the relief and calculation of damages sought, and any other information assisting the court at trial.

View ruleSource: page 9, section A. TRIAL BRIEFS

How may parties contact Judge Gary D. Roberts' chambers?

The rule addresses phone communications with Judge Gary D. Roberts' chambers. After electronically lodging a document requiring court action (e.g., stipulation and proposed order, proposed judgment), parties should refrain from calling court staff to ask about it (sentence continues beyond this excerpt).

View ruleSource: page 6, section 9. Electronically Lodged Documents Which Require Action by the Court

How do I request an adjournment or extension before Judge Gary D. Roberts?

Advance notice is not fully stated in the structured details. Trial will proceed without witnesses who fail to timely appear, and continuances will not be granted because of witnesses who do not appear in a timely manner.

View ruleSource: page 16, section 6. Witnesses

Does Judge Gary D. Roberts require motion papers to be bundled?

Yes. Judge Gary D. Roberts requires bundling for covered papers. The Motions in Limine Binder must contain one-sided conformed copies of all motions in limine, opposition, and reply papers, organized in tabbed three-ring binders with opposition and reply papers placed directly behind the moving papers and colored sheets separating each set.

View ruleSource: page 14, section 3. Motions in Limine

Is electronic filing required before Judge Gary D. Roberts?

Yes. Electronic filing is required for the covered filings. Civil filings are subject to the court's operative general Order re Mandatory Electronic Filing for Civil, which also governs when printed courtesy copies must be submitted.

View ruleSource: page 2, section 3. Motions

When is a filing treated as filed before Judge Gary D. Roberts?

The rule addresses filing timing, filing status, or cure windows. Parties intending to file a summary judgment or summary adjudication motion must reserve a hearing date immediately on the Court Reservation System and should not wait until discovery is completed, since hearing dates at least 30 days before trial may not be available later.

View ruleSource: page 3, section 4. Motions for Summary Judgment/Adjudication

What rule applies to service for trial exhibits before Judge Gary D. Roberts?

The rule addresses service method, recipient, or timing requirements. Details: recipient: all parties, timing: 21 calendar days before hearing. Counsel and self-represented parties must exchange all trial exhibits no later than 21 calendar days before the Final Status Conference.

View ruleSource: page 8, section 1. MEET AND CONFER
Complete rules summary for Judge Gary D. Roberts

Attorneys and parties are expected to grant reasonable requests for extensions of time to respond to pleadings, discovery, or other matters.

Motion hearing dates must be reserved in advance via the Court Reservation System (CRS) at www.lacourt.ca.gov, and motions are heard Monday through Friday.

Printed courtesy copies must be submitted to the Court in certain instances as governed by the general Order re Mandatory Electronic Filing for Civil.

Civil filings are subject to the court's operative general Order re Mandatory Electronic Filing for Civil, which also governs when printed courtesy copies must be submitted.

At the time of electronic filing, a printed courtesy copy is required for documents required by a Standing or General Order, pleadings and motions (including attachments) of 26 or more pages, pleadings and motions with points and authorities, demurrers, anti-SLAPP filings, summary judgment/adjudication motions, motions to compel further discovery, and oppositions to ex parte applications.

Pleadings and motions of 26 pages or more, counting attachments such as declarations and exhibits, require a printed courtesy copy at the time of electronic filing.

Parties intending to file a summary judgment or summary adjudication motion must reserve a hearing date immediately on the Court Reservation System and should not wait until discovery is completed, since hearing dates at least 30 days before trial may not be available later.

Courtesy copies of all summary judgment/summary adjudication papers must be delivered to the Department.

Ex parte applications and all supporting documents must be electronically filed no later than 10:00 a.m. the day before the ex parte hearing, except for self-represented litigants and others excused from electronic filing.

Written opposition to an ex parte application must be electronically filed by 8:30 a.m. on the day of the ex parte hearing, except for self-represented litigants and others excused from electronic filing.

Under section 8 of the First Amended General Order governing Mandatory Electronic Filing for Civil, ex parte filings must be made electronically, except by self-represented litigants and other persons excused from electronic filing.

Ex parte applications must comply with California Rules of Court, rules 3.1200-3.1207.

When filing an ex parte application to advance a summary judgment/adjudication hearing because no reservation dates are available before trial, the moving party is advised to also include an alternative request to continue the trial to a date after the hearing.

The court expects and encourages informal resolution of discovery disputes rather than filing discovery motions.

Parties must meet and confer in good faith on each discovery dispute, and a detailed letter or email alone does not satisfy the requirement unless followed by a telephone call or in-person meeting (or a genuine attempt to arrange one).

If meet and confer fails, either party may request that the court conduct an informal discovery conference to discuss the disputed discovery matters.

The court encourages the parties to schedule and conduct an informal discovery conference before filing a discovery motion.

Responding parties are expected to grant moving parties a reasonable extension of time to file discovery motions so the parties can hold an informal discovery conference.

To request an informal discovery conference, a party must call the Department and obtain a date.

The joint informal discovery conference report must not exceed five pages.

The joint report must be lodged in Department 73 five calendar days before the informal discovery conference.

Counsel and self-represented parties with full authority to stipulate must participate in the informal discovery conference with the court.

The court makes no orders at the informal discovery conference unless the parties stipulate, because the conference is not a motion hearing.

After electronically lodging a document requiring court action (e.g., stipulation and proposed order, proposed judgment), parties should refrain from calling court staff to ask about it (sentence continues beyond this excerpt).

Counsel and self-represented parties must exchange all trial exhibits no later than 21 calendar days before the Final Status Conference.

Counsel and self-represented parties must meet and confer no later than 14 calendar days before the Final Status Conference to prepare trial documents and binders, attempt stipulations on exhibits, motions in limine, and facts and legal issues, and attempt to settle the case.

Counsel and self-represented parties must file the listed trial documents no later than five calendar days before the Final Status Conference, and any documents not previously completed in the required manner will be finalized at the FSC.

In all trials, each party must file a trial brief limited to 10 pages.

Each trial brief must identify the disputed claims and defenses, major legal issues with supporting authorities, the relief and calculation of damages sought, and any other information assisting the court at trial.

Counsel and self-represented parties must jointly prepare and file a joint witness list of all trial witnesses, excluding impeachment and rebuttal witnesses.

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