LawToolBox Reviews and Updates Rules Regularly
by Belinda Paredes, Esq.
Every day, the attorneys at LawToolBox monitor for rule changes through a variety of resources. So far this week, we have reviewed over 100 alerts pointing to potential rule changes effective January 1, 2023.
As a representative sample of some of the rule changes we have added to our extensive calendaring database:
In San Mateo County, CA, there were numerous changes to the Local Rules of Court (LR) that work in conjunction with the California Rules of Court (CRC). One example is Court Reporter Availability in Civil Actions, which has several updates beginning January 1st.
The most pertinent change for the LawToolBox calendaring database is that official court reporters are often not available for civil actions, but a party may request an official court reporter at least ten (10) days before hearing/trial utilizing form CV-69; the Court will inform parties at least five (5) days before hearing/trial if an official reporter cannot be provided and if one cannot be provided, a Court Reporter Pro Tempore can be requested using form CV-68 (see LR 2.12(d)(i), (e)). Under section (ii) of the same rule, fee waiver recipients who want a verbatim record of a trial court proceeding must file the required form (FW-020) at least ten (10) days before the hearing or trial date. San Mateo Local Court Rules Effective January 1, 2023
Stanislaus County, CA, has enacted a new Local Rule regarding Mandatory Online Dispute Resolution in Limited Civil – Debt Collection Cases. Where the dispute is less than $25,000 and a single plaintiff and defendant are involved, both parties must register for MODRIA, the Court’s Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) program. Under the rule the plaintiff must register within five (5) days of defendant’s first appearance, defendant must register with five (5) days of filing a response to plaintiff’s summons/complaint, and the settlement discussions shall be complete ten (10) days prior to the date set for trial (see LR 3.15(A-D)). Stanislaus Changes to Local Rules_ Eff 01.01.2023
In Illinois, there were several updates to the Supreme Court Rules regarding administrative authority over judges and judicial performance/ethics as well as updates to what constitutes lawyer misconduct (see Art. I, Rules 8.4, 21, 58, 61-67, and Art. XI, Canon 2.) Supreme Court Rules | Office of the Illinois Courts
While there are many alerts received for rule changes that do not affect the LawToolBox core calendar product, our team of attorneys reviews each one to not only capture relevant information but also stay well-informed of rule changes and trends in order to serve our clients more effectively.
