Beverly Hills Bar hosts civil court judges

The Beverly Hills Bar Association gathered judges and attorneys Tuesday evening at the Skirball Cultural Center for its annual Meet the Civil Division Judges Night, an event aimed at fostering dialogue between the bench and the bar while highlighting developments within the Los Angeles Superior Court's civil system.

Los Angeles Superior Court Presiding Judge Sergio C. Tapia II and Supervising Civil Judge Lawrence P. Riff addressed the gathering, discussing the court's growing civil caseload and changes underway to manage it.

Tapia reflected on moving from criminal law to the civil bench, noting that civil cases can carry profound consequences for litigants.

"Civil cases often represent defining moments in people's lives," he said, citing eviction proceedings, restraining orders and wrongful death cases.

Civil filings are rising sharply. Between 2022 and 2025, limited and unlimited civil filings increased by 67%, placing added pressure on judicial calendars.

"These numbers represent thousands of people turning to the courts in search of resolution," Tapia said.

To respond, the court reassigned four judicial officers to civil calendars, centralized management of complex cases and expanded courthouses handling priority matters such as unlawful detainers.

Tapia also highlighted alternative dispute resolution programs, which achieve about a 48% voluntary settlement rate. The court expects to refer more than 3,000 unlimited civil cases to mediation this year, saving roughly 3,000 trial days and an estimated $10 million in litigation costs.

Modernization efforts include a redesigned court website with an AI assistant and expanded remote appearance technology.

"The state of the court in Los Angeles County is strong," Tapia said.

Riff described the moment as a transformative one for the profession.

"We are in the midst of a revolution," he said. "It's an information revolution... already here."

He said automation and artificial intelligence are beginning to reshape court operations, though "we're [not] turning over the judicial function to ChatGPT."

Riff also announced the court's personal injury hub will close April 3, returning those cases to regular civil courts.

Despite rising filings, Riff said the trend reflects public trust.

"It means members of our community have faith in our court," he said.