Environmental & Energy, Administrative/Regulatory
H.R. 3699 is an assault on local power, safety and affordability
By Daniel Carpenter-Gold
H.R. 3699 would broadly block state and local governments from most forms of energy regulation --potentially disrupting electr...
Judges and Judiciary, California Supreme Court
Gov. Newsom will probably go to the appellate bench for the next SCOCA justice
By David A. Carrillo, Stephen M. Duvernay
Governor Gavin Newsom is almost certain to fill the California Supreme Court vacancy with a safe, experienced Court of Appeal ...
Protest has again become commonplace on public colleges and universities; this article identifies six legal areas for issue-sp...
Although AI can speed up legal research and handle routine analysis, the human intuition and judgment required to persuade app...
Technology, Law Practice
The impact of general-purpose AI on legal practice, staffing and the economics of legal research
By Neal J. Fialkow
For decades, legal research rested on the scarcity of authoritative information; general-purpose AI now places that assumption...
Criminal
Who will restore Diana Teran's tarnished reputation after the California AGs failed prosecution?
By William M. Paparian
Diana Teran, former assistant district attorney for ethics and integrity in the Los Angeles County DA's Office, endured lastin...
Torts/Personal Injury, Insurance
The fox guarding the henhouse: Why insurers can't certify smoke-damaged homes
By Kevin Pollack
Who decides when a smoke-contaminated home is safe? Right now, it's the insurance company.
In a constitutional republic, the attorney general must enforce the law with independence and integrity, and the Trump-Bondi r...
Torts/Personal Injury
Liability laundering and the 'not our driver' defense
By Yosi Yahoudai, Parham Nikfarjam
In California courtrooms, companies that tightly control branded delivery operations increasingly deny responsibility after se...
Technology, Securities
Fake AI, real lawsuits: The market's newest bubble meets the courthouse
By Leslie R. Stern, Michael Dark
AI hype boosted markets, but "AI washing" -- exaggerated or false claims about artificial intelligence -- is now triggering SE...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Alternative Dispute Resolution
The power of communication in keeping cases moving and clients happy
By Robyn E. Frick
Cases stall not from law, but from silence. A quick call or mediated chat can clear confusion, build trust and move settlement...
Guide to Legal Writing, Alternative Dispute Resolution
Why good mediation briefs matter
By Scott Hengesbach
A strong mediation brief isn't just paperwork--it sharpens your case, informs the mediator, impresses clients and opposing cou...
How to defend a legal malpractice lawsuit: Potential defenses and insider tips
By Shari L. Klevens, Alanna G. Clair
Legal malpractice suits are costly and stressful, but clear engagement letters, insurance, procedural checks, and defenses lik...
Judges and Judiciary, Civil Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution
Justice for sale: How court backlogs favor deep-pocketed companies
By Daniel Y. Zohar
America's success has long depended on strong courts enforcing contracts, but crushing backlogs, overburdened judges and costl...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility
New reporting rules change how California lawyers work
By Jason E. Fellner, Nina Langley
Starting with the 2026 licensing cycle, California attorneys face expanded annual reporting and compliance obligations--includ...
St. Thomas More: silent, principled and law-abiding, he withdrew without betrayal--exemplifying California lawyers' profession...
Labor/Employment
2026 California employment law updates: Administrative and policy gotchas for employers - Part 2
By Elaisha Nandrajog, Servando R. Sandoval
California's 2026 employment law updates impose new operational obligations affecting records, pay data, leave coordination an...
Although the IRS generally presumes litigation recoveries are ordinary income, damages in some defamation cases--particularly ...
Constitutional Law, Civil Rights
State law against federal power: How federalism is rewriting civil rights strategy
By K. Chike Odiwe
As damages remedies against federal officials wither, constitutional violations are increasingly recognized but left without a...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Training for the table or the trial - 7 mediation skills every attorney can use
By Mae Villanueva
Mediators and attorneys serve different roles -- neutral and advocate -- but share a common aim: guiding people through high-s...
Labor/Employment
2026 California employment law updates: Key employee rights and employer gotchas - Part 1
By Elaisha Nandrajog, Servando R. Sandoval
California employers are facing a sweeping new set of employment law changes in 2026 that expand employee rights around wages,...
Military Law, Criminal
JAGs in the dock: Civilian prosecutions, ethical exodus and the perils of militarizing justice
By Selwyn D. Whitehead
Turning to military JAGs to prosecute civilians isn't a staffing fix, it's a stress test. If DOJ can't retain career prosecuto...
Tax
IRS Notice 2025-69: How the new deductions for tips and overtime work in 2025
By Daniel Chung
The IRS issued Notice 2025‑69 to guide taxpayers on claiming the new OBBBA deductions for qualified tips and qualified overtim...
Technology, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
California AI rules for lawyers and arbitrators pass senate, head to assembly
By Mark S. Adams, Sharon R. Klein
California's Senate passed SB 574, a bill establishing AI guardrails for lawyers and arbitrators that codifies confidentiality...
Constitutional Law
The attack on our free press: attorneys must stand up for the truth
By Joseph W. Cotchett Jr.
Amid rising misinformation, recent journalist arrests and broader Trump-era actions are framed as escalating threats to press ...
Torts/Personal Injury, Evidence
Genetic causation and mesothelioma: The emerging role of BAP1 in asbestos and talc litigation
By Karen M. Johnson
As genomic testing becomes more accessible, defense counsel in mesothelioma cases are increasingly leveraging BAP1 and other g...
Torts/Personal Injury
99 Ranch Market crash in Westwood raises more questions than answers
By Michael E. Rubinstein
Last week, a 92-year-old driver may have mistaken the gas for the brake and crashed into Westwood's 99 Ranch Market, killing t...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Losing a big case: How to recover, regroup and recharge
By Wendy L. Patrick
Because trial work brings both victory and loss, lawyers are wise to anticipate the emotional toll of an unfavorable verdict a...
For immigrant families, divorce is not just the end of a marriage but a confrontation between two systems of value--where atto...
Torts/Personal Injury, Technology
Vehicle technology and accident investigation: What personal injury attorneys must know
By Andrew P. McDevitt
Advanced vehicle technology and data are reshaping accident investigations, forcing personal injury attorneys to track system ...