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.
America's abominable attorney general
By William Rothbard
In a constitutional republic, the attorney general must enforce the law with independence and integrity, and the Trump-Bondi r...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
Insurance, Administrative/Regulatory
Rewriting the FAIR Plan: How AB 1680 could transform coverage and risk
By Jessica Gopiao
AB 1680 would fundamentally remake the FAIR Plan--expanding it from fire-only coverage into a quasi-homeowners policy and vest...
Tax, Government
California's proposed billionaire wealth tax: Potential legal and practical obstacles
By Rami Mitri Khoury, A. Lavar Taylor
A proposed California ballot initiative imposing a one-time 5% excise tax on billionaires' net worth has gained traction amid ...
Corporate
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in 2026: A focus on cartels and national security interests
By Ann Kim, Stephanie Yonekura
After a sudden pause and sweeping new guidance, the Trump administration's rebooted FCPA enforcement signals not retreat, but ...
Technology, Constitutional Law
Weakening Section 230 would chill online speech
By David A. Greene
Enacted 30 years ago through careful legislative deliberation, Section 230 remains the internet's strongest bulwark for free e...
Civil Procedure, Appellate Practice
The tipsy coachman needs a sober map: AI-fabricated authority as per se reversible error
By James Mixon
AI-generated hallucinations are appearing in California court filings. When a decision rests on cases that don't exist, appell...
Torts/Personal Injury, Constitutional Law
Defamation by chatbot: Why Section 230 doesn't protect the new tech
By Krista L. Baughman
For 30 years, Section 230 insulated platforms from liability, but generative AI is forcing courts to ask a new question: When ...