Shirley Watkins

Bio as of April 2011:

Since 1982, Shirley K. Watkins has focused her practice primarily on medical malpractice. She is an Emeritus Board member of CAALA and past member of the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Board of Governors of Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles and Board of Directors of Trial Lawyers for Public Justice. She was twice nominated as Trial Lawyer of the Year by CAALA, and was named one of the Top 50 Women Attorneys in Southern California by SuperLawyers.

Updated April 2016: She is now a judge.

Articles written by this author:

Batson-Wheeler motions

A short course on trial objection to peremptory challenges based on group bias

Shirley Watkins

2007 August

Pleading and proving gross negligence in light of City of Santa Barbara

California Supreme Court affirms that liability waivers for future gross negligence are unenforceable as a matter of public policy

Shirley Watkins

2007 September

Admissibility of computer documents at trial

From Web pages to corporate e-mail, California offers procedures for the admission of electronic evidence

Shirley Watkins
Jin Lew

2007 October

Expansion of ostensible agency liability under Ermoian: Proof requirements

Unlike Mejia, which focused on the issue of reliance, Ermoian focuses more on the hospital’s conduct

Shirley Watkins
September Hopper

2007 November

Understanding the statute of limitations for a medical malpractice birth trauma case

Defendants might like to believe that injuries suffered in labor and delivery are now subject to a six-year limitations period, but that is not the law

Shirley Watkins
Steven B. Stevens

2007 December

Calculating Medi-Cal’s reimbursement rights under Ahlborn

The California Welfare & Institutions Code and Ahlborn make clear that the state’s demands for Medi-Cal reimbursement must comply with federal laws

Shirley Watkins
Jin Lew

2008 February

The voir dire process: Ways to reach your goal to seat an impartial jury

There’s more than one way to treat a juror

Jin Lew
Shirley Watkins

2008 March

The admissibility of a defendant’s written policies and procedures as evidence of the standard of care

From hospitals to railroads, police agencies to banking, P&P can be used to establish duty and standards of care

Shirley Watkins

2008 May

Sample jury questionnaire

Here is a proposed jury questionnaire in a med mal wrongful death case involving death from untreated heart disease

Shirley Watkins

2008 August

The plaintiff’s deposition in medical malpractice

Your plaintiff needs to be prepared for questions related to three common defenses

Shirley Watkins

2011 April