A team of dedicated judges and staff is committed to bringing our judges to the community to have dialogues about subjects including what courts do and why young people should aspire to become lawyers and judges. In this way, it is our goal to increase access to justice for all.

The juvenile defendant and the students who volunteer to participate as jurors, clerks, and bailiffs benefit from participation in this intervention program. For the juvenile defendant, the teen court program offers the incentive of having no record of criminal conviction if the sentence imposed is completed within a six month period. For the other students, it offers valuable lessons about how courts operate. The Court benefits from this program because it prevents minor juvenile offenses from clogging an already burdened juvenile justice system and because it helps educate the public about the work of the courts.

Click here to request more information about Teen Court.

Courtroom to Classroom
Judges of the Los Angeles Superior Court visit 8th and 11th grade U.S. History classrooms throughout Los Angeles County as part of the Courtroom to Classroom program. A team of one judge and two attorneys visits the same 8th or 11th grade classroom twice a year to present lessons that are part of the prescribed California History Social Science standards for U.S. history. On each visit, the team presents a slide show about an aspect of the Constitution and its place in United States history. But, the centerpiece of each visit is when the students become lawyers and judges in a mock U.S. Supreme Court case on issues of interest to young people. Students love it! This program, which the Court has developed in a partnership with the Constitutional Rights Foundation, is also effective because students interact closely with our judges and capable lawyers. These individuals present great role models to inspire the students to do their best in school.

Click here to request more information about the Courtroom to Classroom Program.

Mock Trial Program
The Superior Court partners with the Constitutional Rights Foundation in offering the annual Mock Trial Program. Mock Trial promotes a working knowledge of our justice system among youth by having students role play the various facets of a legal case in courthouses throughout the County. Students actively experience the excitement of working in teams, exchanging ideas, setting goals, and examining issues while interacting with positive role models from the legal community. Each year, the Mock Trial Program serves over 2000 students across Los Angeles County and involves over 350 members from the bar and bench.

Click here to request more information about the Mock Trial Program.

Justice Corps
The JusticeCorps program presents an innovative approach to solving one of the more pressing issues faced by courts around the country today: providing equal access to justice. Each year, through funding provided by AmeriCorps and the California Administrative Office of the Courts, the Los Angeles Superior Court recruits and trains 150 diverse university students to augment overburdened court and legal aid staff who are assisting self-represented litigants in court-based self-help programs. These highly motivated and well-trained students provide 300 hours of in-depth and individualized services to self-represented litigants. The program offers outstanding opportunities for students to learn about the law and to provide a much needed service to their community.

Participants must be enrolled at one of our partnering campuses: California State University Dominguez Hills; California State University Long Beach; California State University Northridge; California Polytechnic, Pomona; or the University of California at Los Angeles. Students can apply for JusticeCorps through their university's Community Service Learning Center.

Click here to request more information about Justice Corps.

Judges' Speakers Bureau
The Judges’ Speakers Bureau increases the public’s understanding and knowledge of the judicial system. The program is composed of Los Angeles County judicial officers who speak to community, education, faith based, government agencies, and other types of organizations. By utilizing the Judges’ Speakers Bureau, community groups may request that judges speak to them about issues of concern to the community, as well as how the judicial system works. The program has been educating many sectors of the county’s population for more than 10 years.

Click here to request more information about the Judges' Speakers Bureau.

Click here to request a speaker from the Judges' Speakers Bureau.

Court-Clergy Conference
When diverse groups come into contact with the justice system, they often lack critical information, which hinders their abilities to navigate the justice system effectively. In these times of crisis and indecision, many will turn to their clergy leaders for guidance. Unfortunately, clergy and faith leaders themselves are frequently uncertain about how to interact with the justice system on behalf of those they counsel. The Court-Clergy Conference was designed to identify and discuss the ways in which clergy can actively get involved in legal proceedings so that their constituencies can be better served as they come into contact with the justice system.

The Los Angeles Superior Court has initiated a series of meetings with clergy and other faith leaders in Los Angeles County to stimulate greater dialogue and interaction with the community. These Court-Clergy Conference educate the clergy on court procedures, while obtaining feedback from the faith community about the performance and perception of the courts.

Click here to request more information about the Court-Clergy Conference.

Volunteer, Internship and Externship Opportunities
The Court collaborates with local high schools, occupational centers, colleges, universities, and community based organizations to obtain much needed resources. Approximately 3,200 volunteers and interns work in programs such as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Domestic Violence Clinics, Guardianship Clinics, and various other volunteer/internship programs. Individuals donate thousands of hours in 30 different Court programs, while receiving class credit and education about the justice system as well as gaining valuable work experience and mentorship from judicial administration. The program aims to bolster participants’ self-esteem and to provide each with an understanding of court and related career opportunities.

Click here to request more information about volunteer, internship, and externship opportunities with the Court.

Partnerships with Legislators
The Court hosts annual events to encourage dialogue between judges and local legislative offices from Los Angeles County. One such event is the Legislative Staff Outreach Program. Court staff in charge of various components of court operations provide oral and written information to help staff from legislative offices and staff from offices of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors answer constituent inquiries. Among the many topics discussed are jury service, traffic matters, civil proceedings, criminal proceedings and family law. The Legislative Staff Outreach Program encourages questions and concerns from legislative staff, and is a successful tool in building relationships between the two branches of government because legislative constituents are also the Court's customers.

Click here to request more information about the Legislative Staff Seminar or other opportunities for Legislators and their staff to interact with the Court.

Partnerships with the Legal Community
The Superior Court hosts regular meetings with members of the Bar to discuss procedural issues and other issues of mutual concern. The bench bar activities lead to greater collaboration and awareness of issues important to the administration of justice. These collaborations have fostered increased dialogue about issues of diversity within the courts. The Court is committed to diversity at all levels, from our judicial officers, administrative staff and law clerks, to our juries. As such, the Court, ethnic and minority bar associations, and other legal community groups participate in on-going educational events to raise awareness of this issue and promote decision-making that will increase the diversity of the courts. Bench bar collaborations help the Court anticipate and meet the needs of the diverse communities that we serve.

Click here to request more information about possible collaborations between the Court and the Legal Bar.