Title 4. Civil Discovery Act · Chapter 17. Form Interrogatories and Requests for Admission · Enacted 2004 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 2033.730 requires the Judicial Council to consult a representative advisory committee, including the plaintiff's bar, the defense bar, the public interest bar, court administrators, and the public, when developing the form interrogatories and requests for admission required by Sections 2033.710 and 2033.720, and requires nontechnical language.
(a)In developing the form interrogatories and requests for admission required by Sections 2033.710 and 2033.720, the Judicial Council shall consult with a representative advisory committee which shall include, but not be limited to, representatives of all of the following:
(1)The plaintiff's bar.
(2)The defense bar.
(3)The public interest bar.
(4)Court administrators.
(5)The public.
(b)The form interrogatories and requests for admission shall be drafted in nontechnical language.
Plain-English Summary
Before the Judicial Council finalizes any official form interrogatories or requests for admission under Sections 2033.710 and 2033.720, this section requires it to bring in outside voices rather than draft the forms alone. The statute calls for a representative advisory committee and lists, at minimum, five constituencies that must have a seat at the table: the plaintiff's bar, the defense bar, the public interest bar, court administrators, and the public.
That mix is deliberate. Plaintiff's and defense attorneys bring opposite litigation perspectives to the same questions, the public interest bar represents concerns that might otherwise go unheard, court administrators know how the forms will function in daily operation, and members of the public offer the view of people the forms may reach without a lawyer's help. Subdivision (b) then sets the standard the finished forms must meet: they have to be drafted in nontechnical language, so a form built for statewide use does not end up readable only by specialists.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must the Judicial Council do before finalizing form interrogatories and requests for admission?
Consult a representative advisory committee that includes representatives of the plaintiff's bar, the defense bar, the public interest bar, court administrators, and the public.
Is the list of required advisory committee representatives exhaustive?
No. The statute lists these groups as included, but not limited to, leaving room for other representatives on the committee.
What language requirement applies to the finished forms?
The form interrogatories and requests for admission must be drafted in nontechnical language.
Which two sections does this advisory-committee process apply to?
Sections 2033.710 and 2033.720, the two sections authorizing the Judicial Council to develop official forms.
Amendment History
(Added by Stats.2004, c. 182 (A.B.3081), § 23, operative July 1, 2005.)
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the West's Annotated California Codes / Thomson Reuters. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
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