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 Shirley K. Watkins

Judge Shirley K. Watkins is a judge on the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, the state trial court for Los Angeles County. The court handles a wide range of civil, criminal, family, and probate matters.

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

Common questions about Judge Shirley K. Watkins's rules

Are courtesy copies required for Judge Shirley K. Watkins?

Courtesy-copy rule applies for exhibit books. Details: 5 copies, by hand delivery. Five sets of tabbed and indexed exhibit books must be delivered to Department T for trial.

View ruleSource: page 6, section Final Status Conference Orders

Does Judge Shirley K. Watkins require a pre-motion conference or letter before filing a motion?

Judge Shirley K. Watkins's rules set a pre-motion procedure for CMC statements. Meet and confer per CRC 3.724 and 3.727 is required prior to each Case Management Conference.

View ruleSource: page 2, section CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCES

What formatting rules apply to filings before Judge Shirley K. Watkins?

Judge Shirley K. Watkins' formatting rule includes exhibit books must be tabbed and indexed. Exhibit books delivered for the Final Status Conference must be tabbed and indexed.

View ruleSource: page 6, section FINAL STATUS CONFERENCE ORDERS

What must be included with request for court reporter filings before Judge Shirley K. Watkins?

The rule requires proposed order. Parties seeking a court reporter must retain a private court reporter and submit a proposed order designating that reporter as the official reporter.

View ruleSource: page 3, section COURT REPORTERS

What must be included with lodged depositions filings before Judge Shirley K. Watkins?

The rule identifies required filing content or certificates. Depositions must be lodged before trial accompanied by a Notice of Lodging Depositions.

View ruleSource: page 4, section LODGING DEPOSITIONS

How may parties contact Judge Shirley K. Watkins' chambers?

The rule addresses email communications with Judge Shirley K. Watkins' chambers. Parties may not email the department without prior court approval, and the courtroom email is not regularly monitored.

View ruleSource: page 3, section EMAILS

How do I request an adjournment or extension before Judge Shirley K. Watkins?

Advance notice is not fully stated in the structured details. The request must include reason for request. Trial continuances require a noticed motion, ex parte application, or stipulation and order accompanied by a mandatory good cause declaration; a stipulation alone is insufficient.

View ruleSource: page 2, section CONTINUANCES

Does Judge Shirley K. Watkins require motion papers to be bundled?

No. The rule prohibits holding covered papers for bundling. Complaints and answers cannot be deemed filed as attachments to another document and must be filed separately.

View ruleSource: page 2, section COMPLAINTS AND ANSWERS AS ATTACHMENTS

Is electronic filing required before Judge Shirley K. Watkins?

Yes. Electronic filing is required for the covered filings. Complaints and answers (or petitions and responses) must be separately filed, and must be e-filed when filed by counsel.

View ruleSource: page 2, section COMPLAINTS AND ANSWERS AS ATTACHMENTS

Are filing fees or waivers addressed before Judge Shirley K. Watkins?

A fee is required for covered filings. A filing fee is required for trial continuance requests.

View ruleSource: page 2, section CONTINUANCES

When is a filing treated as filed before Judge Shirley K. Watkins?

The rule addresses filing timing, filing status, or cure windows. Case management statements must be filed no later than 15 calendar days before the case management conference per CRC 3.725.

View ruleSource: page 2, section CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCES

What rule applies to serving all parties before Judge Shirley K. Watkins?

The rule addresses service method, recipient, or timing requirements. Details: recipient: all parties, timing: 1 working days before hearing. A party seeking an ex parte order must notify all parties no later than 10:00 a.m. the court day before the ex parte appearance absent exceptional circumstances; unlawful detainer parties may give shorter notice if reasonable.

View ruleSource: page 3, section EX PARTE APPLICATIONS
Complete rules summary for Judge Shirley K. Watkins

Case management statements must be filed no later than 15 calendar days before the case management conference per CRC 3.725.

Complaints and answers (or petitions and responses) must be separately filed, and must be e-filed when filed by counsel.

Complaints and answers cannot be deemed filed as attachments to another document and must be filed separately.

Trial continuances require a noticed motion, ex parte application, or stipulation and order accompanied by a mandatory good cause declaration; a stipulation alone is insufficient.

A filing fee is required for trial continuance requests.

Parties seeking a court reporter must retain a private court reporter and submit a proposed order designating that reporter as the official reporter.

The proposed order designating the private court reporter must be received by the court prior to the hearing.

Department T will accept courtesy copies, though no quantity, timing, or format is specified.

If a party is not admitted to the remote call within 10 minutes, they must call the department at (818) 901-4612.

If on hold for more than 10 minutes without audio during a remote appearance, call the department at (818) 901-4612.

Parties may not email the department without prior court approval, and the courtroom email is not regularly monitored.

For an ex parte application to shorten time on a motion, the motion date must be reserved on CRS before the ex parte hearing.

A party seeking an ex parte order must notify all parties no later than 10:00 a.m. the court day before the ex parte appearance absent exceptional circumstances; unlawful detainer parties may give shorter notice if reasonable.

Requests for Informal Discovery Conferences may be filed electronically on the court's website.

Stipulations reached at an Informal Discovery Conference must be in writing.

Jury fees must be posted, or a jury fee waiver order obtained, no later than 30 days before trial.

Depositions must be lodged before trial accompanied by a Notice of Lodging Depositions.

All motion hearing dates (except Motions in Limine) must be reserved in advance using the Court Reservation System (CRS), unless leave of court is obtained.

Orders are effective only once the proof of service of the conformed order on all parties and the clients has been filed.

Parties must timely comply with California Rules of Court 3-300 regarding notice of related cases.

A proposed order must be submitted with every motion.

If not admitted to a remote appearance call within 10 minutes, call the department at (818) 901-4612.

Judicial Council Form RA-010 is mandatory for remote appearances at evidentiary hearings and trials.

A joint witness list must be filed by the time of the Final Status Conference.

A joint exhibit list, including columns for DATE ID'd and DATE ADMITTED, must be filed by the time of the Final Status Conference.

A joint statement of the case must be filed by the time of the Final Status Conference.

A proposed verdict form must be filed by the time of the Final Status Conference.

A list of jury instructions must be filed by the time of the Final Status Conference.

Fully edited jury instructions must be printed out and delivered to Department T by the time of the Final Status Conference.

Five sets of exhibit books must be delivered to Department T by the FSC — one set each for the clerk, the judge, and the witness box, and one for each side.

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