SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
Page 45 of 214
Local Rules – Effective January 1, 2022
(j) Effect of Judge Unavailability. Whenever a judge is unavailable to perform his or her
duties, the cases previously assigned to that judge shall be reassigned to another judge as the
Supervising Judge determines.
(k) Complex Litigation.
(1) The Complex Litigation Program of the Los Angeles Superior Court will consist
of the departments designated by order of the Presiding Judge. Complex cases must be filed in the
districts designated according to Local Rule 2.3. Complex cases must be designated or counter-
designated in the civil cover sheet as provided by California Rules of Court, rules 3.401-3.402.
(2) Except as provided in subsection (8) below concerning class actions, the Assistant
Supervising Judge, Civil/Complex, (or his or her designee) (collectively, “Assistant Supervising Judge
Civil/Complex”) will review all cases in which a plaintiff/petitioner or a defendant/respondent has
designated or counter-designated the case as complex and all cases that are designated on the civil
cover sheet as “provisionally” complex (see California Rules of Court, rule 3.400(c)). This review will
be conducted as soon as feasible after the case is filed, but before the case is assigned to a judge. The
Assistant Supervising Judge, Civil/Complex will determine (with or without a hearing) whether to
designate the case as complex pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 3.403. If the matter is
designated as complex and if any party has not yet paid the complex case fee required by Government
Code section 70616(a), the court shall order payment of that fee. If the case is designated complex, the
Assistant Supervising Judge, Civil/Complex will assign the case to a judge in the Complex Litigation
Program. If the case is not designated complex, the Supervising Judge, Civil will assign the case.
(3) The judge who manages the complex case should do so with due consideration of
Standard 3.10 of the Judicial Administration Standards and the case management concepts set forth in
the Deskbook on Complex Civil Litigation published by the Judicial Council of California.
(4) If a party wishes to seek a designation that a case is a complex case, the party may
seek to transfer the case to the Complex Litigation Program in the following manner. The party must
complete the Complex Civil Case Questionnaire designated by the Assistant Supervising Judge,
Civil/Complex. The Questionnaire must be filed in the court in which the case is pending. A courtesy
copy of the Questionnaire must be provided to the Assistant Supervising Judge, Civil/Complex, who
shall determine, with or without a hearing, but with notice to the assigned judge, whether the case
should be assigned to the Complex Litigation Program in light of the caseload of the Program, the
relative complexity of the case compared with cases then assigned to the Program, and the length of
time the case has been pending.
(5) Nothing in this rule will be construed to alter the continuing power of a judge
assigned to a case to decide at a later date that the case is complex or that a case previously declared
to be complex is not. (See Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.403(b).)
(6) If the judge to whom a case is assigned determines that a case is a complex case,
the judge may seek to transfer the case to the Complex Litigation Program in the following manner.
The judge or the party, on order of the court, shall complete the Complex Civil Case Questionnaire
designated by the Assistant Supervising Judge, Civil/Complex. The Questionnaire must be filed in the
court in which the case is pending. A courtesy copy of the Questionnaire must be provided to the
Assistant Supervising Judge, Civil/Complex, who shall determine, with or without a hearing, but with
notice to the assigned judge, whether the case should be assigned to the Complex Litigation Program
in light of the caseload of the Program, the relative complexity of the case compared with cases then
assigned to the Program, and the length of time the case has been pending.