-- Last revised 01/08/24 --
Civil Discovery Improvements - J503
The Commission is studying whether California law on civil discovery could be improved
by adopting approaches used in the federal courts or in other jurisdictions. This is a multi-year project.
To assist the Commission in this study, Professor Gregory Weber (McGeorge School of Law)
reviewed the discovery laws of the other forty-nine states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
and the federal courts. Prof. Weber prepared a background study
describing potentially useful approaches used in these other jurisdictions.
After reviewing Prof. Weber's background study, the Commission identified a number of areas
for further exploration. For details, see the Minutes of the Commission's May 2002 meeting, below.
The Commission welcomes suggestions regarding additional matters in need of reform.
The Commission has since investigated some areas of civil discovery. A
final recommendation proposing a number of minor substantive
improvements was enacted as 2005 Cal. Stat. ch. 294. A final
recommendation on time limits for discovery in an unlawful detainer case was enacted as 2007 Cal. Stat. ch. 113.
A final recommendation on the procedure
for taking a deposition in California for purposes of an out-of-state proceeding was enacted as 2008 Cal. Stat. ch. 231.
For information regarding the operative date of this legislation, see California
Rule of Court 3.1015 (effective March 13, 2009) and pages 3-4 of Memo 2009-1.
The Commission also proposed a nonsubstantive reorganization of the discovery statute, which
was enacted and became operative on July 1, 2005. See 2004 Cal. Stat. ch. 182; Reorganization of
Discovery Statute (Study J-504).
In 2017, the Commission started to examine some other discovery issues (see
Memo 2017-26), but it put that work on hold in light of
AB 383 (Chau),
2017 Cal. Stat. ch. 189. The Commission is currently monitoring the effect of AB 383, which is scheduled to sunset on January 1,
2023. The Commission may recommence work on civil discovery in the future.
Related Material
- Legislation
- Final Recommendation
- Tentative Recommendation
- Commission Decisions (Meeting Minutes)
- Staff Memoranda
- Background Study
Legislation
-
2008: Assembly Bill 2193 (Tran) [Deposition in Out-of-State Litigation]
[Enacted as 2008 Cal. Stat. ch. 231] -
2007: Assembly Bill 1126 (Eng) [Discovery in Unlawful Detainer Case]
[Enacted as 2007 Cal. Stat. ch. 113] -
2005: Assembly Bill 333 (Harman) [Civil Discovery: Statutory Clarification and Minor Substantive Improvements]
[Enacted as 2005 Cal. Stat. ch. 294]
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Final Recommendation
- Deposition in Out-of-State Litigation -- (December 2007)
- Time Limits for Discovery in an Unlawful Detainer Case -- (October 2006)
- Civil Discovery: Statutory Clarification and Minor Substantive Improvements -- (June 2004)
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Tentative Recommendations and Other Requests for Comment
- Tentative Rec. -- Deposition in Out-of-State Litigation (August 2007)
- Tentative Rec. -- Time Limits for Discovery in an Unlawful Detainer Case (June 2006)
- Tentative Rec. -- Civil Discovery: Miscellaneous Issues (September 2005)
- Tentative Rec. -- Civil Discovery: Statutory Clarification and Minor Substantive Improvements (February 2004)
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Meeting Minutes
- December 1, 2017 Meeting in Sacramento
- August 4, 2017 Meeting in Los Angeles
- August 24, 2007 Meeting in Burbank
- January 25, 2007 Meeting in Sacramento
- December 8, 2006 Meeting in Burbank
- October 27, 2006 Meeting in Burbank
- June 22-23, 2006 Meeting in Sacramento
- April 27, 2006 Meeting in Sacramento
- February 23, 2006 Meeting in Sacramento
- September 30, 2005 Meeting in Burbank
- July 14, 2005 Meeting in Sacramento
- June 10, 2004 Meeting in Sacramento
- February 6, 2004 Meeting in Sacramento
- September 18-19, 2003 Meeting in Burbank
- July 11-12, 2002 Meeting in Sacramento
- May 16-17, 2002 Meeting in Sacramento
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Staff Memoranda
- Memo 2017-26 -- Civil Discovery Improvements (Introduction of Study) (7/28/17)
- Memo 2009-1 -- 2009 Legislative Program: Status of Bills (2/13/09)
- Memo 2008-12, Supp. 3 -- 2008 Legislative Program: AB 2193 (Tran) (6/5/2008)
- Memo 2007-51 -- Civil Discovery: Deposition in Out-of-State Litigation (Comments on Revised Tentative Recommendation) (12/4/2007)
- Memo 2007-35 -- Civil Discovery: Deposition in Out-of-State Litigation (Draft of Revised Tentative Recommendation) (8/20/2007)
- Memo 2007-02 -- Civil Discovery Improvements: Subpoenaed Consumer Records (1/19/2007)
- Memo 2006-46 -- Civil Discovery: Deposition in Out-of-State Litigation (Draft of Recommendation) (12/1/2006)
- Memo 2006-40 -- Time Limits for Discovery in an Unlawful Detainer Case (Comments on Tentative Recommendation) (10/13/2006)
- Memo 2006-41 -- Deposition in Out-of-State Litigation (Draft of Recommendation) (10/3/2006)
- Memo 2006-24, Supp. 1 -- Time Limits for Discovery in an Unlawful Detainer Case (6/22/2006)
- Memo 2006-11, Supp. 3 -- Civil Discovery Improvements (Discussion of Issues) (6/14/2006)
- Memo 2006-24 -- Time Limits for Discovery in an Unlawful Detainer Case (Draft of Tentative Recommendation) (6/6/2006)
- Memo 2006-07, Supp. 3 -- Civil Discovery: Miscellaneous Issues (Material Received at Meeting) (4/27/2006)
- Memo 2006-07, Supp. 2 -- Civil Discovery: Miscellaneous Issues (Further Comments and Issues) (4/25/2006)
- Memo 2006-07, Supp. 1 -- Civil Discovery: Miscellaneous Issues (Additional Comments) (4/20/2006)
- Memo 2006-07 -- Civil Discovery: Miscellaneous Issues (Comments on Tentative Recommendation) (4/17/2006)
- Memo 2006-11, Supp. 2 -- Civil Discovery Improvements: Failure to Substantively Respond to Discovery Request (Discussion of Issues) (2/23/2006)
- Memo 2006-11, Supp. 1 -- Civil Discovery Improvements: Failure to Substantively Respond to Discovery Request; Comments on Issues in Main Memorandum (Discussion of Issues) (2/17/2006)
- Memo 2006-11 -- Civil Discovery Improvements: Discovery Motion in Unlawful Detainer; Request for Admission (Discussion of Issues) (1/31/2006)
- Memo 2006-8 -- Civil Discovery Improvements: Subpoenaed Consumer Records (Discussion of Issues) (12/20/2005)
- Memo 2005-33, Supp. 1 -- Civil Discovery: Calendar Preference for Writ Review of a Discovery Ruling on an Issue Common to Consolidated Cases (9/27/2005)
- Memo 2005-33 -- Civil Discovery (Draft of Tentative Recommendation) (9/20/2005)
- Memo 2005-26 -- Civil Discovery: Miscellaneous Issues (7/6/05)
- Memo 2005-27 -- Civil Discovery: Calendar Preference for Writ Review of a Discovery Ruling on an Issue Common to Consolidated Cases (6/28/2005)
- Memo 2004-30 -- Civil Discovery: Statutory Clarification and Minor Substantive Improvements (Comments on Tentative Recommendation) (5/27/2004)
- Memo 2004-11 -- Discovery Improvements from Other Jurisdictions (Draft of Tentative Recommendation) (1/22/2004)
- Memo 2003-17, Supp. 1 -- Discovery Improvements from Other Jurisdictions (Discussion of Issues) (5/23/2003)
- Memo 2003-17 -- Discovery Improvements from Other Jurisdictions (Discussion of Issues) (4/30/2003)
- Memo 2002-33 -- Discovery Improvements from Other Jurisdictions (Discussion of Issues) (7/2/2002)
- Memo 2002-21, Supp. 1 -- Discovery Improvements from Other Jurisdictions: Comments of the Civil Justice Association of California (5/13/2002)
- Memo 2002-21 -- Discovery Improvements from Other Jurisdictions (Background Study) (5/3/2002)
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Background Study
- Background Study -- Potential Innovations in Civil Discovery: Lessons for California from the State and Federal Courts; Prof. Gregory S. Weber (July 2001)