Various courts throughout the Ninth Circuit have handbooks for pro se litigants detailing the life cycle of the case. You can find self-help documents pertaining to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California here:

Please refer only the applicable Southern District’s Local Rules and Chambers Rules when litigating your case. If you would like to read a more comprehensive Pro Se Handbook, please see Representing Yourself in Federal Court: A Handbook for Pro Se Litigants from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The Northern District’s Handbook includes helpful general information about representing yourself in federal court, does not include the rules specific to the Southern District of California.