What to expect at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in an employment or injury lawsuit

A common question is whether a case will be heard near home or downtown. The answer depends on the type of case and where it arose. This page explains when a case lands at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse and what the first months look like there. For the kinds of cases the firm handles, see our practice areas. Our civil litigation page explains how we approach lawsuits in general.

How does a civil case start at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, step by step?

1. Choose the case type and the location. Under the court's Local Rule 2.3, every new civil case includes the Civil Case Cover Sheet Addendum and Statement of Location (LASC CIV 109). The filer picks the case type and circles the reason for the courthouse, such as a class action or a permitted Central District filing.
2. File the papers. The form lists what to have ready: the complaint, a summons for the clerk to issue, the Judicial Council civil case cover sheet (CM-010), the CIV 109 addendum, the filing fee or an order waiving it, and, if the plaintiff is under 18, an order appointing a guardian ad litem. The court also accepts electronic filing.
3. Serve the defendants. The complaint must be served on every named defendant, and proofs of service filed, within 60 days after filing (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.110(b)). CIV 109 says copies of the cover sheet and the addendum must be served with the summons and complaint.
4. The response. The summons tells each defendant to file a written response within 30 days after service (Code of Civil Procedure section 412.20(a)(3)). The parties may agree, without the court, to one 15-day extension (rule 3.110(d)).
5. Getting ready for the first conference. The court gives notice of the initial case management conference at least 45 days ahead; the parties meet and confer at least 30 days before it and file case management statements on form CM-110 at least 15 days before it.
6. The conference. The court reviews the whole case and decides about alternative dispute resolution, a trial date and other management issues (rule 3.722(a)). The court's LACourtConnect system lets participants attend most hearings remotely.
7. Discovery, settlement efforts and trial. The court works toward its time goals for disposing of cases, and by statute a case must be brought to trial within five years after it is filed (Code of Civil Procedure section 583.310).

Which cases are filed at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse?

The court's filing location form (LASC CIV 109, revised April 2026) lists the reasons a case may be filed in a particular courthouse. Reason 1 states that class actions must be filed in the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, Central District. For other cases, it depends on the case type:

So an employment case can be filed in the Central District even if the job was in Glendale, while an injury case is filed where the injury happened. The court's courthouse directory lists the Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012; it also lists the Spring Street Courthouse at 312 North Spring Street. Our page on the employment lawyer in Los Angeles covers the city's own workplace rules.

Which of our guides involve cases that can be filed here?

Employment lawsuits may be filed in the Central District under the rules above. These guides cover claims that can lead to one:

• Firings are covered in wrongful termination in violation of public policy.
• Retaliation for reporting is covered in whistleblower claims in California.
• Age claims are covered in age discrimination in a layoff.
• Leave-related firings are covered in being fired after medical leave or an accommodation request.
• Pregnancy claims are covered in pregnancy leave and job protection.
• Bereavement leave claims are covered in bereavement leave in California.
• Harassment claims are covered in what happens after you report harassment.
• The right-to-sue step is covered in the Civil Rights Department complaint process.
• Overtime lawsuits are covered in how overtime is calculated.
• Break claims are covered in meal and rest break pay.
• Exemption disputes are covered in salaried, exempt or misclassified.
• Contractor disputes are covered in employee or independent contractor status.
• Minimum wage claims are covered in the 2026 local minimum wages.
• Late final pay is covered in final paycheck rules.
• Penalties are covered in wage violation penalties.
• Noncompete disputes are covered in whether a noncompete is enforceable.
• Choosing court over an agency is covered in a wage claim or a lawsuit.
• Time limits are covered in employment claim deadlines.
• Fees are covered in who pays the lawyer in an employment case.

Injury cases reach a Central District courthouse only when the injury happened in that district or the case is a class action. These guides cover injury claims that can become lawsuits:

• Uninsured drivers are covered in hit and run or uninsured driver claims.
• Public property and city vehicles are covered in claims against Glendale or Los Angeles County.
• Dog attacks are covered in who is responsible for a dog bite.
• Death cases are covered in wrongful death and survival claims.

Our page on the personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles County explains the local claim offices and courthouses for injuries.

What happens in the first months after filing?

At the initial case management conference, lawyers and self-represented parties must appear in person or remotely and be ready to commit to positions on the issues (rule 3.722(c)). If the written submissions are enough, the court may issue a case management order without requiring anyone to appear (rule 3.722(d)).

What changes the answer?

Whether it is a class action

Reason 1 on CIV 109 sends every class action to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, whatever the case type, and no address is required on the form for class actions. For individual cases, the reasons differ by case type.

Whether it is an employment case or an injury case

Employment and civil rights cases list reason 2, a permissive Central District filing, and reason 3, the place where the claim arose. Injury cases list only reason 4, where the injury, death or damage occurred, besides the class action rule.

Whether the case is limited or unlimited

A limited civil case is one where the amount in controversy does not exceed $35,000 (Code of Civil Procedure section 85). Rule 3.714(b) sets faster goals for limited cases, 90 percent resolved within 12 months, and a court may excuse attendance at the first case management conference in limited cases by local rule (rule 3.722(e)). The court's own site describes small claims as disputes of $12,500 or less; our page on small claims or a lawyer in Los Angeles County compares the options.

Whether the case is exceptional

Rule 3.714(b) sets goals for unlimited civil cases: 75 percent resolved within 12 months, 85 percent within 18 months, and all within 24 months. A judge can exempt a case with exceptional circumstances and set a goal of resolving it within three years (rule 3.714(c)). These are court goals, not promises for any one case.

Whether you are the one being sued

The summons warns a defendant that the court may decide against them without hearing their side if no response is filed within 30 days. If none is filed, rule 3.110(g) requires the plaintiff to request entry of default within 10 days, and rule 3.110(h) gives 45 days after that to obtain a default judgment. Our page on what to do when you are served with a lawsuit in California explains how the 30 days are counted.

A worked example

For example, imagine a hypothetical office manager who worked at a company in Glendale and was fired two weeks after asking for medical leave. After getting a right-to-sue notice from the Civil Rights Department, her lawyer files a lawsuit and, on CIV 109, chooses reason 2, a permissive Central District filing, for a case coded as wrongful termination.

The complaint is filed with the summons, the CM-010 cover sheet and the addendum, and the company must be served, with proof of service filed, within 60 days. The company has 30 days after service to respond. Weeks later the court sends notice of an initial case management conference, which her lawyer may attend through LACourtConnect after meeting and conferring with the company's lawyer and filing a CM-110 statement. None of these steps predicts how the case will end; they show the schedule the court will hold both sides to.

Common mistakes in a downtown civil case

• Choosing the wrong location reason. Injury cases do not list the general Central District option, so the place of injury controls.
• Forgetting to serve the addendum. CIV 109 says copies of the cover sheet and the addendum go out with the summons and complaint.
• Letting the 60-day service deadline pass. The court may issue an order to show cause about sanctions when pleadings are not served on time (rule 3.110(f)).
• Skipping the meet and confer. The parties must discuss discovery, motions and trial dates at least 30 days before the first conference.
• Treating the time goals as a promise. Rule 3.714 states goals for the court, and each case is considered on its own merits.

What to do this week

1. Find your case number and every notice the court has sent, including any hearing date.
2. Keep your copy of the complaint, the summons and the proof of service together.
3. Write down the dates when you and your witnesses are not available, which the parties discuss before the conference.
4. Organize your documents by date.
5. If you were served, count 30 days from service and talk to a lawyer well before then.
6. Read our article on the civil litigation process to see what comes after the first conference.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Stanley Mosk Courthouse?

The court's courthouse directory lists it at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. The Spring Street Courthouse, also in downtown Los Angeles, is at 312 North Spring Street.

Do I have to go to court in person?

Not always. The Rules of Court allow appearance at a case management conference in person or remotely, and the court says its LACourtConnect system lets participants attend most hearings by computer or phone.

Can my employment case be filed in Glendale instead?

CIV 109 allows an employment case in the Central District or in the district where the claim arose. The court's directory lists a Glendale Courthouse at 600 East Broadway, but which cases it hears is for the court's own rules to say, so ask a lawyer which location fits.

How long does a lawsuit take in Los Angeles Superior Court?

The court aims to resolve 75 percent of unlimited civil cases within 12 months and all within 24 months, with longer goals for exceptional cases. A case must also be brought to trial within five years after filing.

Do I need a Civil Rights Department notice before suing for discrimination?

Yes, for employment claims under state civil rights law. Our guide to the Civil Rights Department complaint and right-to-sue notice explains that step.

Where does an appeal from a Labor Commissioner award go?

To the Superior Court location tied to the Labor Commissioner office that decided it, under reason 10 on CIV 109. Our page on Labor Commissioner wage claims in the Los Angeles area explains the appeal deadline.

How can Glendale Law help?

We handle employment, injury and other civil cases in the Los Angeles Superior Court, including the filing location choice and the early case management deadlines. Call (818) 244-9000 or request a consultation.