Consumer Protection Law, Class Action
The Supreme Court's Dismissal of Labcorp v. Davis
By Brian Danitz, Vasti Montiel
In a closely watched case that could have drastically reshaped class action law, the U.S. Supreme Court on June 5, 2025, dismi...
Civil Procedure, California Supreme Court
State Supreme Court clarifies statute of limitations for non-client claims against attorneys
By Christopher R. Blazejewski
The California Supreme Court in Escamilla v. Vannucci clarified that the one-year statute of limitations under Code of ...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Counselor at law: Preserving the human in legal practice
By James Mixon
The California State Bar's AI scandal exposes a profound irony: As machines master the rules-based tasks measured by tradition...
Civil Procedure
Pride, prejudice and peremptory challenges: What navigating pride parties can teach you about jury selection
By Nico L. Brancolini
Jury selection demands sharp observation, authentic connection, and the ability to read subtle social dynamics to build trust ...
Civil Procedure
Written discovery responses: How to avoid costly mistakes in court
By Collin P. Wedel, Lauren M. De Lilly
Every case should be litigated like it will go to trial, because failing to treat discovery responses with that mindset can le...
International Law, Constitutional Law
Trump tariffs face a judicial reality check
By Selwyn D. Whitehead
A recent decision by the U.S. Court of International Trade held that President Trump exceeded his authority under the Internat...
Health Care & Hospital Law
Milking change: Partnerships for a healthier Central Valley
By Dr. Chang Kyoung (CK) Choi, Roberto Escobar
Dairy farming in California's Central Valley, long a cornerstone of the region's economy but also a source of serious environm...
Environmental & Energy
NEPA narrowed: Clearing the tracks for focused environmental reviews
By Davin A. Widgerow
The U.S. Supreme Court clarified that under the federal National Environmental Policy Act, agencies are not required to assess...
International Law, Administrative/Regulatory
Trump's foreign film tariff: Legal drama meets industry doubts
By Jackie Ward
President Trump's proposed 100% tariff on foreign films raises legal doubts, while actor Jon Voight and Gov. Newsom offer tax ...
Labor/Employment
California's new sexual harassment standard: What 'totality of the circumstances' means for employers
By Leonid M. Zilberman
California's Carranza decision marks a turning point in harassment law, signaling that even indirect, single incidents ...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility
San Francisco public defender made the right call to limit defender caseloads
By Robert C. Boruchowitz, Robert S. Chang
San Francisco Public Defender Manohar Raju's decision to limit new case assignments is a necessary, ethically grounded respons...
Technology, Law Practice
Can generative AI meet the reasonable person standard in court?
By Brian M. Hoffstadt
Two recent appellate decisions reveal how judges are using generative AI to resolve disputes, raising critical questions about...
Technology
Trump's AI overhaul ushers in innovation-first federal strategy
By Jana Slavina Farmer
The Administration's new federal approach to AI abandons the precautionary, compliance-heavy tone of prior federal AI directiv...
LA Fires, Insurance
Surcharged and burned: Who pays for California's wildfires?
By Jessica Gopiao
The outcome of Consumer Watchdog v. Insurance Commissioner Lara will determine not only who bears the financial burden...
Constitutional Law, Administrative/Regulatory
One big beautiful loophole: How the budget bill guts the rule of law
By John H. Minan
A little-noticed provision in the House's "One Big Beautiful Bill" threatens to strip federal courts of their contempt power f...
A decorated Army veteran and Harvard Law graduate, Hagan Scotten brings a decade of public corruption and financial crimes exp...
Intellectual Property
Everyone's a critic! From Warhol to Eleanor, when IP law takes the stand on art and pop culture
By Ashfaq G. Chowdhury
Despite being dubbed "soft IP," trademark and copyright cases often plunge lawyers into the lively intersection of law and cul...
9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Cf. 9th Cir.: How 9th Circuit practice differs
By Benjamin G. Shatz
The 9th Circuit's distinctive rules, customs, and collegial culture reveal just how unique (and user-friendly) the court is, o...
Construction
Homeowner who wins against swimming pool contractor gets splash of cold water
By Garret D. Murai
In Lee v. Cardiff, a homeowner recovered over $475,000 after a contractor violated licensing laws on a high-end pool an...
In response to the impending expiration of key Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions, the House has advanced a sweeping tax proposa...
Antitrust & Trade Reg.
Zeigler v. NCAA: Four seasons rule again under antitrust scrutiny
By Philip T. Sheng, Rachel Kipp
Former Tennessee point guard Zakai Zeigler is challenging the NCAA's "Four-Seasons Rule" in a groundbreaking lawsuit that coul...
Amid a nostalgic reflection on legal heroes and cultural memory, Justice Arthur Gilbert honors the legacy of Justice Stanley M...
Family
Family law crisis: Why divorce cases now take years and cost more
By Harry L. Powazek
Once-simple divorces now take years to resolve, cost tens of thousands in legal fees, and leave families in limbo. Is there a ...
State Bar & Bar Associations, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Banning attorney advertising doesn't help domestic violence victims - better counsel does
By James I. Ham
The State Bar's proposed ban on attorney advertising in domestic violence cases could give one side an unfair advantage, delay...
Despite its theoretical goals, California's death penalty system has become a costly, protracted, and ineffective relic--faili...
Environmental & Energy, Constitutional Law
The king has clothes, but not all fit: Limits of the Executive in U.S. clean energy policy
By Joseph F.C. DiMento, Danielle Straus
The states: can they counter the Trump II attack on climate change law?
Intellectual Property
Back in the doghouse: Parody and trademarks post-Jack Daniel's
By David Martinez, Navin Ramalingam
A recent ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona in VIP Products LLC v. Jack Daniel's Properties Inc. ...
Technology, Alternative Dispute Resolution
The future of resolution: AI, strategy and the next generation of mediation
By Greg Derin
The final installment of this three-part series examines how parties and counsel can enhance mediation outcomes through strate...
Letters
LA Superior Court defends rule aimed at reducing trial delays
By Lawrence P. Riff
Recent debate over hearing reservation rules and trial delays has prompted the Los Angeles Superior Court to clarify that its ...
Labor/Employment
Fair Workweek rules take effect in LA on July 1: What retail employers need to know
By Tatiana Dupuy
Large Los Angeles County retailers will be required to give workers 14 days' notice of their schedules starting July 1 under a...