1) If you can get the Mini Route (more common now than a year ago, less common than 2-3 years ago), absolutely.
2) If you go around the Bravo to the Northeast, and look back down, you can.
3) If you take a vectored climb into the Coastal Route (basically, they'll have you do the same thing as the IFR departure, fly NW along the shore and then turn back), you can.
4) Depart into the SFRA and pick it up from 127.2/125.35 as soon as you are on the other side. You are literally not talking to a controller for ~5 minutes or less from your frequency change from KSMO (usually around the time you're back over the VOR) till you exit the other side and are ready to call. Remember, the SFRA is literally from Lincoln Boulevard to the 105 freeway - just the width of LAX. You are class of the Class Bravo and Delta (yes, LAX has a small Class Delta overhang on each end) at 3500 then.
As someone who flies KMYF-KSMO a ton, I usually fly to KSMO IFR to avoid the drop from the SFRA (plus, I often need to be IFR on depatture, arrival or both cause of the marine layer in the morning) and then VFR back if it is reasonable VMC to avoid the long waits.
That said, for obvious reasons, I've not waited more than about 3-4 minutes for a clearance out of KSMO in months. In fact, I think they've been more conscious of those IFR hassles and were working on decreasing them anyway. Just don't ever try and get one off 3.