Legal Question in Civil Litigation in California

You can call the department clerk and ask what the department's procedure is. Some departments let you pick your own date, and the department usually has a set time for "law and motion," while other departments will choose a date and time for you.

Whichever applies, make sure that the date is set out far enough so that you can give the appropriate notice of the motion to the opposing side, and serve it properly in advance (making sure to add the required time for service by mail if applicable) and file it on time.

It depends on the court. Some courts are "independent calendar" courts, also called all purpose assignments, whereas other courts are "master calendar" in which different parts of the case are assigned to different judges. If you are going to do this on your own, you are going to have to pick up the phone and make some calls.