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.

More categories

View all Los Angeles Superior Court rules
About Judge Michael Small

Judge Michael Small is a judge in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, a state trial court serving Los Angeles County.

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

Common questions about Judge Michael Small's rules

Are courtesy copies required for Judge Michael Small?

Courtesy-copy rule applies for trial readiness documents. Details: delivery day before fsc. Hard copies of trial readiness documents must be assembled in three-hole binders and delivered to the Court the day before the FSC.

View ruleSource: page 4, section Trial Procedure

Does Judge Michael Small require a pre-motion conference or letter before filing a motion?

Judge Michael Small's rules set a pre-motion procedure for case management conferences. Counsel must meet and confer no later than 15 calendar days before each Case Management Conference to address the issues in CRC Rules 3.724 and 3.727.

View ruleSource: page 3, section Case Management

What formatting rules apply to filings before Judge Michael Small?

Judge Michael Small's formatting rule includes margins top 4 inches. Proposed special jury instructions and addenda to form instructions must leave at least four inches of blank space at the top of every page.

View ruleSource: page 5, section 6. PROPOSED JURY INSTRUCTIONS

What must be included with idc request filings before Judge Michael Small?

The rule identifies required filing content or certificates. IDC requests on form LACIV094 must describe the nature of the dispute in appropriate detail or the request will be denied.

View ruleSource: page 3, section Discovery Motions and Informal Discovery Conferences

What must be included with joint exhibit list filings before Judge Michael Small?

The rule identifies required filing content or certificates. The joint exhibit list must allocate number blocks by party and include each exhibit's number, a brief description, and three columns headed 'Stipulation: Authenticity/Admission', 'Date Identified', and 'Date Admitted', with counsel asked to attempt stipulations to admissibility or foundation.

View ruleSource: page 5, section 2. JOINT EXHIBIT LIST AND EXHIBITS

How do I request an adjournment or extension before Judge Michael Small?

Advance notice is not fully stated in the structured details. The request must include reason for request and adversary position. A trial continuance at the further status conference requires a collective request by all sides, evident good cause, and available calendar time to adjust the trial date.

View ruleSource: page 4, section Setting of the Trial and Status Conferences

Are filing fees or waivers addressed before Judge Michael Small?

A fee is required for covered filings. Jury trial fees must be posted before the Case Management Conference if a jury trial has been requested.

View ruleSource: page 3, section Setting of the Trial and Status Conferences

When is a filing treated as filed before Judge Michael Small?

The rule states a 10:00 AM filing cutoff. Ex parte applications must be filed by 10:00 am on the court day before the ex parte hearing, absent an exception.

View ruleSource: page 3, section Ex Parte Applications
Complete rules summary for Judge Michael Small

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

An informal discovery conference (IDC) is not required before filing a discovery motion; if requested and granted, the Court sets the IDC date.

IDC requests on form LACIV094 must describe the nature of the dispute in appropriate detail or the request will be denied.

Ex parte applications must be filed by 10:00 am on the court day before the ex parte hearing, absent an exception.

Ex parte applications must comply with CRC 3.1200 et seq. and be properly calendared in Department 517 per LR 2.8 and 2.9.

Counsel must meet and confer no later than 15 calendar days before each Case Management Conference to address the issues in CRC Rules 3.724 and 3.727.

Case Management Statements must be filed at least 7 calendar days before the scheduled Case Management Conference.

Jury trial fees must be posted before the Case Management Conference if a jury trial has been requested.

A trial continuance at the further status conference requires a collective request by all sides, evident good cause, and available calendar time to adjust the trial date.

Trial counsel must meet by videoconference, telephone, or in person well before the FSC regarding joint trial readiness documents.

Joint trial readiness documents must be filed at least five court days before the FSC, and failure to participate may preclude a party from calling witnesses, presenting exhibits, or having a jury trial.

Hard copies of trial readiness documents must be assembled in three-hole binders and delivered to the Court the day before the FSC.

The joint statement of the case must be prepared by meet-and-confer and be a brief, neutral document informing the jury about the parties and their claims/defenses without favoring either side.

The joint exhibit list must allocate number blocks by party and include each exhibit's number, a brief description, and three columns headed 'Stipulation: Authenticity/Admission', 'Date Identified', and 'Date Admitted', with counsel asked to attempt stipulations to admissibility or foundation.

Exhibits must be separately numbered to match the joint exhibit list, multi-page exhibits must be internally numbered (e.g., 3.1, 3.2, 3.3), and documents with original or deposition-transcript page numbers must be renumbered for trial.

Counsel must prepare separate sets of trial exhibits for the Court, the opposing party(ies), the witness stand, and the Judicial Assistant.

Parties must submit a joint witness list showing each witness's estimated total testimony time (direct, cross, redirect, recross) plus a total of all time estimates.

Parties using deposition or former testimony in lieu of live testimony must meet and confer and jointly file a designation chart with columns for designations, objections, counter-designations, responses, and the Court's ruling.

Parties must submit a joint set of agreed jury instructions plus each side's objected-to instructions, providing full text of all requested instructions with blanks completed and compliance with LR 3.170–3.171.

Proposed special jury instructions and addenda to form instructions must leave at least four inches of blank space at the top of every page.

Strict compliance with CRC Rule 2.1055's form and format requirements for proposed jury instructions will be enforced, and counsel are strongly encouraged to use the CACI instructions without deviation.

Parties must submit proposed general or special verdict forms, should submit alternative forms if they cannot agree on a single form, and must identify areas of disagreement, with strong encouragement to use the CACI verdict forms.

Motions in limine must be filed and served with proper statutory notice and set for hearing on the FSC date.

Motions in limine must comply with LR 3.57, including its declaration and meet-and-confer requirements, and boilerplate or form motions in limine are disfavored.

No later than one day before the FSC, the moving party on each motion in limine must lodge directly in Dept. 517 an indexed, tabbed three-ring binder containing conformed copies of all moving, opposition, and reply papers.

If no court reporter is used at trial, the parties must jointly prepare a settled statement summarizing the day's proceedings and lodge it in the courtroom the next morning before proceedings resume.

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