Search this site
CalCourtDeadlines.com
MenuSearch this site

Los Angeles County trial document templates

Not legal advice. Rules attested September 29, 2026; last full pass August 17, 2026. Verify every date yourself. Read the full disclaimer

Each verified rule carries its own date on the methodology page, all of them September 29, 2026: the date the maintaining attorney last attested it. The last full pass, signed off on August 17, 2026, checked the rules against their official sources (the code, the California Rules of Court, or for court holidays the Judicial Council calendar), with the exceptions listed on the about page. Rules still awaiting sign-off are listed on the methodology page as not yet verified. County local rules are paraphrased summaries. Individual department and judge standing orders are included only where the court publishes them and we have read the document, so assume your own department has requirements beyond what you see here. Verify every date against the operative code sections, your court's rules and your department's own order before relying on it. Using this site creates no attorney-client relationship.

16 documents, 22 required sections, taken from Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles's own published rules and read September 16, 2026. Each one downloads as California pleading paper with this court's required sections already placed, so the document cannot silently omit one.

A blank template is easy to find anywhere. What is hard to find is which sections this court requires inside the document, because that lives in a local rule nobody indexes. Every heading below is cited to the subdivision it came from, and the rule's own sentence prints beside it in the reference sheet so you can check your work.

Download these as templates

Every document below comes out on California pleading paper, 28 numbered lines down the left, with this court's own required sections already placed as headings. Take the Word version to draft in and the PDF to print. Fill in your details once and they carry across every template on the site.

Your details optional, blanks print as ruled lines

These stay in this browser. They are not sent anywhere, and the file is built on this machine, so a case name never reaches our server.

Downloading needs a free account.

  • Written settlement conference statementEach party, 3 required sections. No later than five court days before the settlement conference.
  • Expert witness list and appraisalEach party. On the exchange date the court sets at the initial case management conference, no sooner than nine months after the complaint is filed and at least 90 days before trial absent good cause.
  • Lists of pre-marked exhibits to be used at trialEach party, 3 required sections. At least five days before the final status conference.
  • Jury instruction requestsEach party, 5 required sections. At least five days before the final status conference.
  • Trial witness listEach party, 1 required section. At least five days before the final status conference.
  • Proposed short statement of the case to be read to the jury panelEach party, 2 required sections. At least five days before the final status conference.
  • Trial preparation and dispositive motions, including motions in limineEach party, 2 required sections. In a case assigned to one judge for all purposes, with timely statutory notice so the motion is heard on the day of the final status conference; in a master calendar assigned case, at least five days before the final status conference, to be heard on the first day of trial.
  • Final offer and final demandEach party. At least 20 calendar days before trial, unless the parties agree to exchange and file them at the close of the mandatory settlement conference.
  • Signed depositions lodged with the clerkPreparer not stated. Before the commencement of trial.
  • List of changes made in a deposition by the deponentEach party, 1 required section. Not stated; Rule 3.55 fixes no deadline, and the list goes to counsel rather than to the court, so it is not tied to the final status conference or to the lodging of the signed depositions.
  • Proposed verdict and findings formsPreparer not stated, 1 required section. Before the jury instruction conference, which the trial judge holds outside the jury's presence before final argument.
  • Statement of issuesEach party. As required by Public Resources Code section 21167.8(f) and as the court orders.
  • Trial notebookPlaintiff, 1 required section. Lodged with the petitioner's reply brief.
  • Administrative recordPreparer not stated, 1 required section. Lodged when the petitioner's reply brief is filed, unless the court orders otherwise.
  • Joint appendixPrepared jointly, 1 required section. When the court orders one, lodged with the record when the petitioner's reply brief is filed.
  • Trial notebookPrepared jointly, 1 required section. When the court orders one, lodged with the petitioner's reply brief.

Everything this court requires in one editable document, with each rule quoted and cited.

What each document has to carry

Written settlement conference statement

Prepared by each party. Submitted directly to the courtroom and served, no later than five court days before the settlement conference. Applies to any civil case in which the court sets a settlement conference. LASC Rule 3.25(e)

  1. The case (Rule 3.25(e), second paragraph)
    • A concise statement of the material facts of the case
    • The factual and legal contentions in dispute
    • All parties and their capacities in the action
    • Citations of authorities supporting the legal propositions important to resolving the case
  2. Damages, in the statement of a party claiming them (Rule 3.25(e), second paragraph)
    • All special damages claimed, including all expenses incurred up to the time of the settlement conference
    • Any amounts claimed as general damages
    • Any amounts claimed as punitive damages
    • The total amount of damages claimed
  3. Status of the case (Rule 3.25(e), second paragraph)
    • The general status of the case, including settlement offers

Expert witness list and appraisal

Prepared by each party. Served only, on the exchange date the court sets at the initial case management conference, no sooner than nine months after the complaint is filed and at least 90 days before trial absent good cause. Applies to eminent domain and inverse condemnation only. LASC Rule 3.240(b)

The rule cited above requires this document and does not say what goes in it. That is the rule's silence, not a gap here. Your department's order is where the contents will be.

Lists of pre-marked exhibits to be used at trial

Prepared by each party. Filed and served, at least five days before the final status conference. Applies to all civil trials. LASC Rule 3.25(f)(1)

  1. Exchange and pre-numbering of the exhibits before trial
    • All exhibits exchanged before trial
    • All exhibits pre-numbered before any reference to them by counsel or a witness
    • Exhibits anticipated in good faith for use in impeachment, which are excepted from the exchange and pre-numbering requirement
  2. How the exhibits on the list are numbered and paginated
    • Arabic numerals
    • A block of numbers allocated to each party, used sequentially by that party
    • Internal pagination in sequential numerical order for any documentary exhibit of more than one page
  3. Joint exhibit list, when the court orders one in place of separate lists
    • A single joint exhibit list covering all parties

Jury instruction requests

Prepared by each party. Filed and served, at least five days before the final status conference. Applies to jury trials only. LASC Rule 3.25(f)(1)

  1. Agreed and disputed sets, when the court orders them
    • A set of agreed jury instructions
    • If necessary, a separate set of instructions to which there is disagreement
    • Proper format under California Rules of Court, rule 2.1055
    • All changes and modifications applicable to the case
    • No blanks, brackets, empty spaces or inapplicable options left in
  2. Completion of proposed CACI and other instructions before delivery
    • All blanks filled in
    • All strike-outs made
    • All insertions made
    • All modifications appropriate to the case made
  3. Format of proposed instructions other than CACI instructions
    • Conformity with California Rules of Court, rule 2.1055
    • Citations of authorities for the instruction
    • Indication of the party requesting the instruction
    • How the instruction was modified from a related CACI instruction
    • Written form for any instruction requested after the evidence closes
  4. Classification of the parties' instructions before the jury instruction conference
    • A meeting of counsel before the conference to discuss each other's jury instructions
    • Instructions classified as withdrawn
    • Instructions classified as agreed
    • Instructions classified as agreed subject to a stipulated modification
  5. Copies of instructions that go into the jury room
    • The title removed
    • The citation of authority removed
    • The identity of the requesting party removed
    • Stricken portions totally obliterated
    • Handwritten additions made legible

Trial witness list

Prepared by each party. Filed and served, at least five days before the final status conference. Applies to all civil trials. LASC Rule 3.25(f)(1)

  1. Joint witness list, when the court orders one in place of separate lists
    • A single joint witness list covering all parties

Proposed short statement of the case to be read to the jury panel

Prepared by each party. Filed and served, at least five days before the final status conference. Applies to jury trials only. LASC Rule 3.25(f)(1)

  1. Joint statement to be read to the jury, when the court orders one
    • A single joint statement to be read to the jury in place of each party's own proposed statement
  2. Settlement of the text at the trial conference
    • The text of a brief statement of the case suitable to be read by the trial judge to the panel of prospective jurors

Trial preparation and dispositive motions, including motions in limine

Prepared by each party. Filed and served, in a case assigned to one judge for all purposes, with timely statutory notice so the motion is heard on the day of the final status conference; in a master calendar assigned case, at least five days before the final status conference, to be heard on the first day of trial. Applies to all civil trials, excluding summary judgment motions, which are not filed on this track. LASC Rule 3.25(f)(2)

  1. Declaration accompanying a motion to preclude mention or display of inadmissible and prejudicial matter
    • Identification of the inadmissible and prejudicial matter
    • A representation that the subject of the motion was discussed with opposing counsel
    • A representation that opposing counsel either indicated the matter would be mentioned or refused to stipulate that it would not be mentioned
    • A statement of the specific prejudice that will result if the motion is denied
  2. Relief a motion in limine may not seek
    • No summary judgment or summary adjudication of an issue, which may only be sought in compliance with Code of Civil Procedure section 437c
    • No order trying one issue before the trial of another issue, which may only be sought in compliance with Code of Civil Procedure section 598

Final offer and final demand

Prepared by each party. Filed and served, at least 20 calendar days before trial, unless the parties agree to exchange and file them at the close of the mandatory settlement conference. Applies to eminent domain and inverse condemnation only. LASC Rule 3.246

The rule cited above requires this document and does not say what goes in it. That is the rule's silence, not a gap here. Your department's order is where the contents will be.

Signed depositions lodged with the clerk

The rule does not say who prepares it. Lodged, before the commencement of trial. Applies to all civil trials, unless signing is waived or the deposition officer certifies under Code of Civil Procedure section 2025.540. LASC Rule 3.56

The rule cited above requires this document and does not say what goes in it. That is the rule's silence, not a gap here. Your department's order is where the contents will be.

List of changes made in a deposition by the deponent

Prepared by each party. Served only, not stated; Rule 3.55 fixes no deadline, and the list goes to counsel rather than to the court, so it is not tied to the final status conference or to the lodging of the signed depositions. Applies to any civil case in which a deponent changes the deposition after it was taken. LASC Rule 3.55

  1. Contents of the change list
    • Each change made in the deposition by the deponent after the taking of the deposition
    • The page number of each change
    • The line number of each change

Proposed verdict and findings forms

The rule does not say who prepares it. Lodged, before the jury instruction conference, which the trial judge holds outside the jury's presence before final argument. Applies to jury trials only. LASC Rule 3.172

  1. Agreed special verdict form, when the court orders one
    • An agreed special verdict form
    • Interrogatories on the form

Statement of issues

Prepared by each party. Filed and served, as required by Public Resources Code section 21167.8(f) and as the court orders. Applies to CEQA petitions only. LASC Rule 3.232(k)

The rule cited above requires this document and does not say what goes in it. That is the rule's silence, not a gap here. Your department's order is where the contents will be.

Trial notebook

Prepared by plaintiff. Lodged, lodged with the petitioner's reply brief. Applies to CEQA petitions only. LASC Rule 3.232(l)

  1. Contents of the trial notebook
    • The petition
    • The parties' briefs
    • Any motions set to be heard at trial
    • The statement of issues
    • Any requests for judicial notice
    • Labeled tabs separating the documents

Administrative record

The rule does not say who prepares it. Lodged, lodged when the petitioner's reply brief is filed, unless the court orders otherwise. Applies to prerogative writ proceedings only, and the lodging deadline also governs CEQA actions. LASC Rule 3.231(g)(2)

  1. Bates stamping, citation and binding of the record
    • Bates stamping from the first page of the record through the last
    • Citation to the record by Bates number only in the briefs
    • Side bound three inch binders, spiral binding preferred and three ring binders acceptable
    • The volume number on the spine of each binder
    • The range of pages enclosed shown on the spine of each binder

Joint appendix

Prepared jointly. Lodged, when the court orders one, lodged with the record when the petitioner's reply brief is filed. Applies to prerogative writ proceedings only, and only where the record or evidence is voluminous and the court orders it. LASC Rule 3.231(j)

  1. Contents and assembly of the joint appendix
    • The pages of the record or evidence actually cited in all of the briefs
    • The entire challenged administrative decision, placed first
    • The cited pages following it in Bates order
    • Labeled side tabs
    • A single spiral bound or three ring binder

Trial notebook

Prepared jointly. Lodged, when the court orders one, lodged with the petitioner's reply brief. Applies to prerogative writ proceedings only. LASC Rule 3.231(l)

  1. Contents of the trial notebook, when the court orders one
    • The petition
    • The parties' briefs
    • Any requests for judicial notice
    • Labeled tabs separating the documents
    • A one inch or three inch binder

Start with the joint documents

2 of these are prepared jointly: Joint appendix; Trial notebook. A joint document needs a meet and confer before it can be filed, so it sets the real deadline even though the filing date is the same as everything else.

When each one is due

Most of these do not run off the trial date. They run off the final status conference, which the county rule times from the trial date. Work out that date first, because counting back from the wrong date is the commonest way one gets missed. The full rule list for Los Angeles County carries every rule with its quoted text, and the trial countdown calculator computes the statewide CCP chain.

How these were built

Every rule was researched from the court's own published text, then checked a second time by a reader told to assume a rule had been invented. Grouping those rules into the documents a court actually wants was a further pass, and an adversarial check corrected it: the commonest error was a document whose contents the first pass left empty while the rule enumerated them. Templates are generated in your browser, so nothing you type is sent anywhere. See methodology.

Previous: Kings County templates · Next: Madera County templates

Related: All courts with templates · Los Angeles trial binder rules · Los Angeles County ex parte deadlines · Trial countdown calculator