Law Practice, Criminal
Chief justice wants more funds for criminal defense counsel
By Kamila Knaudt
The committee was created in 2020 through budget legislation and tasked with recommending statutory changes to simplify and ra...
Civil Litigation, California Supreme Court
State Supreme Court denies review of $86.7M Roundup verdict
By Craig Anderson
The court's decision, reached Wednesday, affirms a 1st District Court of Appeal ruling in August.
Civil Litigation, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Video recordings of Prop 8 trial may be made public
By Skyler Romero
Proponents who defended the anti-gay marriage measure in court have fought for years to keep the video recordings sealed, sayi...
Education Law, Civil Litigation
Elite San Francisco high school that ditched merit admissions violated open meetings law, judge rules
By Jonathan Lo
This marks the third time this year the San Francisco Board of Education has had a decision overruled by the courts for not fo...
Environmental & Energy, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
In ruling over Amazon facility, 9th Circuit debate ‘environmental racism’
By Craig Anderson
The federal appellate panel on Thursday denied a challenge to the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval of an air cargo f...
Labor/Employment, Civil Litigation, California Courts of Appeal
Worker illegally forced to agree to arbitrate, court rules
By Blaise Scemama
An appellate judge affirmed a lower court ruling Wednesday, finding a former Pinnacle Property Management Services employee wa...
Civil Litigation, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
AG seeks en banc review of ruling against state’s private prison ban
By Malcolm Maclachlan
President Donald Trump’s administration and the private prison company Geo Group Inc. sued to block the law. Both complaints a...
Labor/Employment, Civil Litigation
Judge considers 2 DAs injunction request against home service provider
By Kamila Knaudt
Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo in San Francisco took the matter under submission Tuesday after she had previous...
Civil Litigation
Suit claims lead in Trader Joe’s spinach, other products
By Blaise Scemama
The plaintiff, Ecological Alliance LLC, is represented by Vineet Dubey of Custodio & Dubey LLP, who has become one of the ...
Intellectual Property, Entertainment & Sports, Civil Litigation
Miramax suit against Tarantino raises nonfungible tokens question
By Craig Anderson
The movie studio sued Quentin Tarantino in federal court Tuesday, arguing he is breaching his contract by announcing plans to ...
Labor/Employment, Civil Litigation
Judge OKs $2.2M deal over Juul worker disclosure agreements
By Winston Cho
U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen emphasized in a final approval order the “strong results achieved in this case,” noting the...
Bankruptcy
US bankruptcy judge reappointed for second 14-year term
By Douglas Saunders Sr.
“We are all thrilled to see Judge Taylor reappointed,” said Chief Bankruptcy Judge Christopher B. Latham of the U.S. Bankruptc...
Criminal
Juvenile lawbreakers in LA County will face victims to avoid charges
By Kamila Knaudt
The program allows victims to participate in a way they cannot in the juvenile justice system, where they are not allowed to a...
Civil Litigation
Iowa pork producers sue over California’s pig standards
By Malcolm Maclachlan
California’s laws on animal farming standards have often stood up to judicial review, but the plaintiffs said the inclusion of...
Law Practice
Cleary Gottlieb opens offices in Palo Alto and SF
By Douglas Saunders Sr.
“I was drawn to Cleary’s deep commitment to the region and incredible client base, and to the opportunity to help build out th...
Native Americans, Alternative Dispute Resolution
Mediator necessary to complete tribe’s compact with governor, report says
By Malcolm Maclachlan
Lester J. Marston, representing the Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians, argued in Monday’s filing that Senior U.S. Dist...
Law Practice, Insurance, Civil Litigation
3 firms get $23.1M in fees in Wells Fargo class action deal
By Craig Anderson
The plaintiffs’ firms are Frank Sims & Stolper LLP along with Franklin D. Azar & Associates and Philadelphia lawyer Ch...
Environmental & Energy, Contracts
Central Valley water contract struck down, tribes, environmentalists cheer
By Skyler Romero
While the deal was denied on procedural grounds, the decision has been lauded by groups, including tribal interests wary of t...
Immigration, Civil Litigation
Sacramento sheriff sued over alleged ICE cooperation
By Douglas Saunders Sr.
“Senior officials instruct their subordinates how to contact ICE and as a result they are transferring inmates to ICE,” ACLU a...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Bankruptcy
Girardi’s wife must face lawsuit in Illinois
By Craig Anderson
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Barry Russell of Los Angeles granted a motion by a Chicago law firm for relief from a stay blocking its ...
Civil Litigation, Antitrust & Trade Reg.
Preliminary OK for $100M Apple deal with developers
By Winston Cho
“Counsel is reminded that the court does not typically award 33% of the gross settlement fund as fees and that any request for...
Health Care & Hospital Law, Bankruptcy
J&J bankruptcy must be heard in New Jersey, judge rules
By Blaise Scemama
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Craig Whitley issued a strongly worded order Tuesday, saying J&J more than forum shopped, it manufac...
Law Practice, Data Privacy
Security law expert Beth George rejoins Wilson Sonsini from DOD
By Jonathan Lo
“Sometimes you get asked to do something and you can’t say no,” said George, who is a lecturer at UC Berkeley School of Law. “...
Civil Rights, Civil Litigation
Dispute over $12 basketball can move to trial, US judge rules
By Gina Kim
“There is a genuine dispute as to whether defendant [Wendy] Magee had any valid, objective reason to deny company policy by le...
State Bar & Bar Associations, Legal Education
July bar exam pass rate drops 7.8% from October 2020
By Nicole Tyau
The July exam was the last to be administered remotely, and was again plagued by technical issues with the test vendor, ExamSo...
State Bar & Bar Associations, Judges and Judiciary
State Bar Court presiding judge leaves for Board of Parole Hearings
By Nicole Tyau
Former presiding judge Catherine Purcell spent 13years on the bar court. Judge W. Kearse McGill has been appointed acting pres...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Civil Litigation
Ex state beverage control attorney loses whistleblower suit
By Malcolm Maclachlan
Dean R. Lueders, represented by Siegel, Yee, Brunner & Mehta in Oakland, was a staff attorney for the regulatory agency fr...
Judges and Judiciary, Appellate Practice
Mixed reaction to Judicial Council’s letter to appellate lawyers academy
By Malcolm Maclachlan
“Absent any evidence of meaningful action on the Supreme Court’s recommendation for an investigation of decisional delay in th...
Labor/Employment, Civil Rights, Civil Litigation
Sutter County ex-deputy wins $10M for wrongful termination
By Doug Sherwin
Jacob Nalbandyan of Levin & Nalbandyan LLP in Los Angeles and James A. Clark of Tower Legal Group in Sacramento told the j...
Judges and Judiciary, Community News, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
9th Circuit judge to receive 2022 Susan and Carl Bolch Jr. Prize
By David Houston
The prize will be awarded on March 18 at a ceremony in San Diego. Wallace has been a federal judge for 50 years, first on the ...