Los Angeles County Superior Court Videoconferencing Transparency

Updated on March 4, 2021

Videoconferencing in LA County Superior Court

Not many good things have come from COVID, but there are a few.   As practicing Los Angeles real estate attorneys we are very pleased to see that the Los Angeles County Superior Court is opening up their video system to the public.  What does that mean?   Members of the public, co-counsel, and pretty much anyone in the world from wherever they are in the world will be able to observe public court hearings without having to travel to the court house.   Welcome to Court!

The Los Angeles County Superior Court announced that attorneys and their clients will be able to appear at hearings via videoconferencing.   And, the Court is developing a “virtual gallery” seating section online.  This means that, much like going to the court room, members of the public will be able to sit in the audience to view court proceedings regardless of whether or not they are involved in those proceedings. This is great.

Why is this great? Let me explain:

1. The legal system is meant to be one that provides access to the public.   Nothing is done in secret.   But before the implementation of access via videoconferencing, access was synonymous with hassle.   Before, to watch a court proceeding you had to battle traffic to the courthouse, stand in a long line to enter the building, go through a metal detector, search for the assigned courtroom and then wait.   Sometimes that wait was 15 minutes, and on more than a few rare occasions (busy court days) our Los Angeles real estate attorneys have waited 3 or 4 hours for a hearing.   Now you just wake up, login, and wait online while you tackle other work.   Easier access = less hassle = better access.
2. Better Evaluation of Your Case. For clients, the ability to observe the courtroom on hearings that they may not have otherwise been involved in or had good reason to appear at is quite valuable.  Now, clients, while involved in their own daily work, will be able to login to their hearing, and monitor their case more actively.  This means clients will be able to see the Judge, watch the Judge’s demeanor in court, observe opposing counsel and evaluate their own client’s performance.   This is powerful.   While clients have always had the right to travel to court, that used to require a serious time commitment.  That is no longer the case.
3. Pick A Good Attorney: When you buy a car you take a test drive.   Why not test drive your attorney by watching them perform in one of their other active cases?    At Schorr Law, our real estate attorneys, pride themselves on our ability to perform in court.  This is where we want to be, this is where we want to perform, we want you to see this.   Soon, we will be able to invite you to attend an appearance online. You can judge for yourself if we are the right attorneys to handle your real estate dispute.   We think so, but what better proof then letting you observe?   Most appearances are not as exciting as something you see  on a legal drama on TV, and there is a courtroom decorum that attorneys must maintain that includes a high level of respect for the Judge and the courtroom as a whole. Come watch when this launches; give us a test drive.

The court system is finally coming of age.   The slow roll out of electronic filings earlier this year followed by the fast-paced introduction of videoconferencing are all welcome changes.

General public, welcome to our arena, welcome to the fight, welcome to court.

To schedule a consult with one of our attorneys, contact us here, or give us a call.