Government, Constitutional Law
Trump, king of the jungle: Power without limits
By William Rothbard
Trump's claim that only his own morality limits his power echoes Nixon's infamous logic--and reflects a presidency increasingl...
State Bar spends its resources on the affluent to the exclusion of the poor
By Antonio R. Sarabia II
Despite strong diversity policies and research like the Justice Gap Study, the State Bar largely protects wealthy civil client...
Above all, perspective: How attorneys can start the year grounded
By Christopher Frost
The start of a new year offers a timely reminder: maintaining perspective is essential for attorneys and firm leaders working ...
Reports of my depth are greatly exaggerated: A survey of AI-use by arbitrators
By Christopher David Ruiz Cameron
Generative AI may be transforming the world, but arbitrators remain notably cautious, if not resistant, to letting it into the...
Tariffs and the definition of art
By Simon J. Frankel
Long before today's trade wars, tariff disputes helped shape the legal definition of art--forcing courts to draw lines between...
When courts unmask pseudonymous litigants in sexual misconduct suits
By Robert M. Waxman
In California, plaintiffs alleging sexual misconduct must clear high procedural and substantive hurdles to litigate anonymousl...
Effective settlement: Knowledge, timing and preparation
By Evelio Grillo
Successful settlement conferences depend on often-overlooked fundamentals like timing, case knowledge and preparation--includi...
Mediating executive termination disputes
By Mark S. Zemelman
Executive terminations carry unique risks for both companies and individuals, but a skilled mediator can help parties navigate...
Lawyers, don't miss the cultural clues in dispute resolution
By Angel M. Bermudez
Cultural awareness allows lawyers to do more than resolve disputes--it helps clients feel understood in the process.
Technology, Intellectual Property
AI lawsuits shift from copyright to human harm
By James Rubinowitz
As courts move past IP disputes, the next wave of AI litigation is turning toward real-world harms--and testing whether tradit...
Constitutional Law, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
9th Circuit expands 1st Amendment protection for professors' syllabus speech--and gets it wrong
By Erwin Chemerinsky
A divided 9th Circuit wrongly extended First Amendment protection to a University of Washington professor's offensive, non-ped...
Be Proactive: State Bar recommendations for trust account compliance
By Steven Moawad, Jennifer Stalvey
With trust account compliance reviews expanding in 2026, now is the time for California attorneys to adopt stronger recordkeep...
Labor/Employment
How plaintiffs use Section 998 offers to compromise in employment discrimination cases
By Sean M. Novak
While FEHA already provides for fee recovery, an offer to compromise remains a powerful, underutilized tool that can bolster p...
International Law
Governing by tweet: The human cost of unpredictable U.S. foreign policy
By Sanaz (Sunny) K. Soltani
For Iranians, U.S. foreign policy isn't just unpredictable--it's dangerous, as shifting statements and unclear signals from Wa...
Intellectual Property, Constitutional Law
Trademark not proven: Court sides with Villaraigosa in slogan spat
By Jane Shay Wald, Erick Franklund
A California federal court's rejection of a trademark claim over "PROVEN PROBLEM SOLVER" highlights that the Lanham Act offers...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Administrative/Regulatory
SB 37: California's first step toward ethical advertising in the age of AI
By Monica Washington-Rothbaum
SB 37 redefines "truthful and not misleading" for an era when AI, vendors and influencers often blur the line between real leg...
Obituaries
Badge of justice: Robert K. Tanenbaum's enduring legal legacy
By William M. Paparian
Robert K. Tanenbaum's life--spanning courtroom triumphs, public service and bestselling novels--offers a blueprint for lawyers...
Year in Review Column, Wills, Estates & Trusts, Probate
Top 5 trusts and estates cases of 2025
By Ciarán O’Sullivan
Five 2025 appellate rulings that trusts and estates practitioners need to know, from reformation petitions and elder abuse lia...
Military Law, Constitutional Law
Is 'I was just following orders' a valid legal defense for military members?
By Dan Jacobson
From Nuremberg to My Lai, the "just following orders" defense has failed in U.S. and international law. So, when must servicem...
Labor/Employment
Iloff v. LaPaille: A primer on what courts can and cannot do in statutory wage claim cases
By Maurice Mandel II
A recent Court of Appeal decision in a wage and hour case offers employment attorneys a comprehensive guide to statutory wage ...
Civil Litigation
Rising government risk exposes cracks in public liability funds
By Yosi Yahoudai, Arthur Dermendjian
As multimillion-dollar payouts for police violence, infrastructure failures and civil rights violations surge, California's pu...
Technology, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Tech-savvy lawyering: Why attorneys must keep up with AI and emerging technologies
By Shari L. Klevens, Alanna G. Clair
Artificial intelligence and other tech innovations are reshaping the legal profession. Lawyers who fail to stay current risk e...
Entertainment & Sports
Court losses mount for NCAA rules. What comes next?
By John H. Minan
A series of antitrust defeats has left the NCAA unable to enforce its own eligibility rules, fueling a bidding war for top ath...
Criminal
California's hidden crisis: Mental Illness, addiction and the justice system
By Michael K. Wendler
California's jails are filled with people struggling with mental illness and addiction. At a recent Hoover Institution symposi...
Civil Rights
Epstein's victims deserve more than document dumps and political theater
By Robert L. Bastian Jr.
Jeffrey Epstein exploited more than 1,000 victims, according to a 2025 DOJ review. But like Shakespeare's Ophelia, they're hea...
Environmental & Energy, Constitutional Law
California justices wade into fish statute fight
By Alene Taber
California's highest court will decide in Bring Back the Kern v. City of Bakersfield whether a statutory duty to protec...
Criminal
Defending mentally ill defendants brings unique legal challenges
By Dmitry Gorin, Alan Eisner
Representing a criminal defendant with serious mental illness presents unique challenges--especially for private counsel, who ...
As global demand for digital creators surges, the O-1B visa offers non-U.S. influencers a powerful path to live and work in th...
In Paglia & Associates Construction v. Hamilton, a homeowner's critical Yelp reviews and blog posts about her con...
Litigation & Arbitration
Real-world mediation advice from general counsel
By David R. Shraga
General counsel bring unique insight to mediations based on what they've seen work--and fail. Recognizing what in-house counse...