California's hybrid system of judicial selection reveals striking differences when compared with the varied approaches used ac...
Environmental & Energy
Beef and bioreactors: How California can lead and export a new protein revolution
By Dr. Chang Kyoung (CK) Choi, Roberto Escobar
With sky-high beef prices and biotech prowess, California can pioneer a hybrid meat model--blending ranching and cultivated ...
International Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution
How a creative mediator's proposal could end the Russia-Ukraine conflict
By Gregory C. O'Brien Jr.
A mediator's proposal, when creatively designed to offer mutually beneficial solutions, can resolve even the most intractable...
Probate, Civil Procedure
Goebner clarifies California probate court demurrer deadline
By Matt Owens
Goebner confirms that in probate court, the deadline to file a demurrer is any time at or before the hearing, rather th...
Obituaries, Judges and Judiciary
The bench as sanctuary: How Judge Theodor C. Albert elevated justice with grace and gravitas
By Baruch C. Cohen
When the law found its soul: How Billy Preston's lyrics, a judge's grace, and one motion resurrected justice.
California's well-intentioned AB 218 opened the door for long-overdue justice for survivors of childhood sexual assault, but i...
Constitutional Law, Administrative/Regulatory
The quiet case that could put the courts under executive control
By John H. Minan
An under-the-radar lawsuit by a Trump-aligned legal group seeks to reclassify key judicial administrative bodies as executive ...
Data Privacy
Seven states form consortium for privacy enforcement
By Igor Gorlach, Thomas Ewing
On April 16, seven states formed the Consortium of Privacy Regulators to share expertise, align enforcement strategies, and st...
Civil Procedure, Antitrust & Trade Reg.
Compliance, candor, and contempt: the case of Epic Games v. Apple
By Wendy L. Patrick
A federal judge recently condemned Apple's willful noncompliance with an injunction and referred the matter for criminal conte...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Set for the future: Consider a succession plan for long-term success
By Shari L. Klevens, Alanna G. Clair
Many lawyers delay retirement, but thoughtful succession planning ensures continuity, protects clients, and preserves a firm's...
Technology, Data Privacy
Opening the Trojan email: How BEC breaches businesses from within
By Robert E. Braun
Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a fast-moving, trust-based cyberattack that exploits human behavior - not technical flaws -...
A little-noticed Executive Order aims to gut civil rights law by ending "disparate impact" liability--the key tool for proving...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Mediation reigns, but the litigation beast lives on
By Greg Derin
Fifty years after Harvard Law Professor Frank Sander's multi-door vision, meaningful early dispute resolution still faces cult...
Torts/Personal Injury, Civil Procedure
The 'death discount': Ending an unjust legal paradox
By Loren E. Schwartz
California law once allowed negligent parties to escape full accountability when injured victims died before trial--erasing th...
Constitutional Law
The constitution, the courts, and nationwide injunctions
By Margot J. Cleveland
The Supreme Court will hear arguments next week in three consolidated cases challenging President Trump's executive order on b...
Civil Procedure
How summary judgment hearing dates are causing preventable trial continuances
By Gary Partamian, Sheri R. Lalehzarian
A trial date is often a plaintiff's clearest path to justice, but in 2025, those dates are being extended as courts' booked ca...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Public policy considerations in California's mediation privilege
By Kevin Kayhanian, Brandon Brousseau
Mediation aims to promote candor, but critics argue that the privilege can sometimes prioritize secrecy over justice.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
The mediation privilege: A sword and a shield
By Mark B. Wilson, Manoah S. Marton
California's mediation privilege, governed by Evidence Code sections 1115-1129, is broadly construed and strictly enforced to...
U.S. Supreme Court
Cunningham decision reshapes ERISA litigation landscape
By Orly Ahrony
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision may require policymakers to consider targeted reforms to ensure ERISA continues to serve its...
Criminal
The prison rape loophole in 'Tough on Crime' politics
By Richard Alexander, Eugene M. Hyman
In 2003, Congress united to confront the epidemic of prison sexual violence by passing the Prison Rape Elimination Act, but th...
Letters
Free speech shouldn't be a weapon against judicial independence
By Brett R. Alldredge
Judge LaDoris Cordell's complaint to the state bar challenges DA Brooke Jenkins' pattern of publicly attacking judges for lawf...
Construction, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
The False Claims Act in action: What Hendrix v. J-M reveals
By Garret D. Murai
The Ninth Circuit took a common-sense approach in the case, steering clear of case law and legislative history, and focusing ...
Litigation & Arbitration, Ediscovery, Civil Procedure
Do the discovery provisions in SB 940 apply to arbitrations commenced before January 2025?
By Glenda Sanders, Janet Lee ("Jayli") Miller
California's SB 940 expands arbitration discovery, reversing the presumption of limited access unless parties opt out, but its...
Letters, Environmental & Energy
CEQA is playing a vital role in protecting communities from the LA gondola project
By Douglas P. Carstens
The California Environmental Quality Act plays a crucial role in safeguarding vulnerable communities--such as those in Chinato...
Despite its widespread adoption, cyber insurance remains misunderstood--even by experienced professionals--with persistent myt...
Environmental & Energy
Legal fuel for food waste solutions in California
By Roberto Escobar
California is pioneering sustainable food systems through innovative corporate models and legislation that embed circular econ...
Trump's new order requiring security bonds in lawsuits seeking quick relief could block civil rights cases by pricing advocate...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Choosing a mediator: Why different skill sets matter
By Craig A. Schloss
Judges and attorneys bring different but invaluable strengths as neutrals, helping parties understand litigation risks and set...
Government, Constitutional Law
One law, two fates: The unequal prosecution of California prosecutors
By Ellen S. Kreitzberg
Two prosecutors sent work-related emails in 2021, but only one--Diana Teran--is facing felony charges and possible disbarment,...
Civil Rights
The qualified immunity tight rope: A closer look at D'Braunstein v. California Highway Patrol
By Justin A. Palmer
The Ninth Circuit's decision in D'Braunstein v. CHP offers a rare win for civil rights plaintiffs, highlighting how qua...