Congratulations to Anita Pasillas, CALSPro 2021 Member of the Year!
Pasillas is a paralegal and has been employed with Rapid Legal since 2010. She has been a member of CALSPro for 10 years, served on CALSPro’s Board of Directors, and has been the organization’s Newsletter Chair.
Pasillas says she joined CALSPro because she felt the organization would help her become more familiar with the industry and allow her to be involved with CALSPro members who had years of experience in the legal field and expertise in a variety of areas that was up to date and differed from her own.
Likewise, Pasillas says, she felt that membership in CALSPro would keep her apprised of legislative activities that affected herself and other members, in addition to protecting the community of legal support professionals.
“What we do within CALSPro is vital to the work and careers of legal support professionals,” Pasillas says. “As an organization, we protect our industry and communicate with members to make sure they are in the know and don’t miss any changes in the rules whether it be filing, service or process, or any consideration that affects them in their line of work.”
Pasillas notes that being a member of CALSPro and having the opportunity to work with individuals who had extensive backgrounds in the legal industry gave her a greater in-depth understanding of the process, rules of the court, and how to apply them.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by CALSPro and also to be able to represent Rapid Legal in this community of my peers,” Pasillas says.
The Top Ten Lawyer Movies and TV Shows of All Time
There have been hundreds of entertaining films and television shows over the years that have depicted all facets of the legal profession. It’s not that shocking, really; if there’s one thing that’s universal, it’s that everyone loves a good courtroom drama. Picking the best? That’s another story altogether. Here’s a list of the top ten movie or TV shows about lawyers.
My Cousin Vinny
Featuring a fantastic cast that includes Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Ralph Macchio, and Fred Gwynne, My Cousin Vinny is more than just a hilarious fish-out-of-water story. In fact, its portrayal of criminal trial procedures is one of the most accurate in film history! IMDb >
Perry Mason
This classic television series turned Raymond Burr into a star. Running for nine seasons between 1957 and 1966, Perry Mason became the gold standard for courtroom dramas. IMDb >
A Few Good Men
“You can’t handle the truth!” There’s nothing like watching Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson go head-to-head in this military court drama, directed by Rob Reiner. A Few Good Men also featured star turns by Demi Moore and Kevin Bacon, to name just a few. IMDb >
Boston Legal
A spin-off from one of the other shows on our list, Boston Legal is best known for the brilliant comedic antics of James Spader and William Shatner. While it might have ended after just four seasons, this television show is highly memorable. IMDb >
Erin Brockovich
This Julia Roberts film is based on a true story of a real lawyer and her rise to fame after she tackled a high-profile case involving a poisoned municipal water source. Erin Brockovich the film is just as interesting as Erin Brockovich the real person. IMDb >
Law & Order
Before there were countless spinoffs there was the original. Law and Order, which ran from 1990 to 2010, was unique in that it showed both sides of criminal justice: both law enforcement and legal proceedings. IMDb >
To Kill a Mockingbird
This film, adapted from the famous Harper Lee novel, is a classic piece of movie history. Gregory Peck’s portrayal of small-town lawyer Atticus Finch is filled with dignity and gravitas as he defends an innocent black man from the ire of a prejudiced white jury. IMDb >
The Practice
The precursor to Boston Legal, this courtroom series ran from 1997 to 2004 and helped make actor Dylan McDermott the star he is today. The ethical themes explored in this show were thought-provoking and clever, earning The Practice a strong following. IMDb >
The Paper Chase
Required watching for law students, The Paper Chase is an absolute classic. Academy Award-winning actor John Houseman plays the dry, acerbic Professor Kingsfield, the world’s most demanding law school teacher. Houseman even reprised his role in the 1980s television series based on the film. IMDb >
Suits
The only TV show on this list still filming, Suits is the story of how a college dropout ends up working with one of the highest-profile law firms in New York City. Even more noteworthy, this series introduced newly-branded royal Meghan Markle to the world. IMDb >
Closure of Courthouse Buildings San Diego
On November 9, 2017, the Superior Court of California County of San Diego posted this Public Notice.
Pursuant to Government Code § 68106 and Rule 10.620 of the California Rules of Court, the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, is providing notice that it will be closing the Family Court Building at 1555 Sixth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101 and the Madge Bradley building at 1409 Fourth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101 (including both business operations and courtrooms), and transferring the these operations to the new San Diego Central Courthouse at 1100 Union Street, San Diego, CA 92101 (the “Central Courthouse”).
The Family Court Building, which currently houses courtrooms F-1 to F-6, will now close at 3:30 p.m. on December 13, 2017.
The Madge Bradley building, which currently houses courtrooms F-8, F-9 and PC-1, PC-2, and PC-3 will now close at 3:30 p.m. on December 14, 2017.
eFiling for Los Angeles Superior Court - Civil Cases
An update on the status of Los Angeles Superior Court (“LASC”) going live with eFiling for Civil Cases.
It is expected that eFiling for Limited Civil Cases will begin in mid-2018, with eFiling for Unlimited Civil Cases sometime late summer 2018. As we get closer to these timeframes we will post updates confirming the Court dates.
We’re Certified to eFile for You
As a certified Electronic Filing Service Provider (EFSP), you can trust we’re compliant with all current eFiling standards. See all the counties we eFile on Electronic Court Filing page.
LASC Offers Limited Jurisdiction UD Cases in More Courts
LASC announces limited jurisdiction unlawful detainer (eviction) cases to be heard in every judicial district.
Effective Oct. 10, 2017, Los Angeles Superior Court will expand limited jurisdiction unlawful detainer operations from seven to eleven courthouses as follows:
- Chatsworth Courthouse, 9425 Penfield Ave., Chatsworth 91311 (New)
- Compton Courthouse, 200 West Compton Blvd., Compton 90220 (New)
- Inglewood Courthouse, One Regent Street, Inglewood 90301 (New)
- West Covina Courthouse, 1427 West Covina Parkway, West Covina 91790 (New) (Effective Oct. 10, 2017, unlawful detainer cases will no longer be heard at Pomona Courthouse.)
- Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse, 42011 Fourth Street West, Lancaster 93534
- Governor George Deukmejian (Long Beach) Courthouse, 275 Magnolia, Long Beach 90802
- Norwalk Courthouse, 12720 Norwalk Blvd., Norwalk 90650
- Pasadena Courthouse, 300 East Walnut, Pasadena 91101
- Santa Monica Courthouse, 1725 Main St., Santa Monica 90401
- Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles 90012
- Van Nuys East Courthouse, 6230 Sylmar Ave., Van Nuys 91401
View the Notice To Attorneys information here.
eFile at Superior Court of California, County of Butte
Effective immediately, you can eFile at Superior Court of California, County of Butte. Please note, this is optional and the date for mandatory eFiling has not yet been announced.
The Superior Court of California, County of Butte, accepts electronic filing (eFiling) in the following case types:
- Juvenile Dependency matters (W&I 300)
- All Family Law matters
- All Civil matters
- All Probate matters
View the Court’s eFiling information on Butte Superior Court website.
County of Santa Clara Notice - eFile Unlawful Detainer cases
Effective June 26, 2017, you can eFile Unlawful Detainer cases at Santa Clara Superior Court. Please note, this will be permissive. Mandatory eFiling of UD cases will start on July 31, 2017.
Closure and relocation of Stockton and family law courthouses
Effective July 28, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. (noon), the Stockton Courthouse located at 222 E. Weber Ave. and the Family Law Courthouse located at 540 E. Main St. will be permanently closed. All services currently provided to the public by the San Joaquin Superior Court at the Stockton and Family Law Courthouses will be relocated to the soon to be completed new Stockton Courthouse at 180 E. Weber Ave. in Stockton. Public services will resume at the new Stockton Courthouse on July 31, 2017 at 1:00 p.m.
Los Angeles Superior Court Probate eFiling
Los Angeles Superior Court has implemented mandatory eFiling for Probate cases effective Monday, June 5, 2017. Documents filed in the Probate Division must be filed electronically through an electronic filing service provider. Read more about probate Efiling on Los Angeles Superoor Court >