LA Fires, Judges and Judiciary, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
How do judicial ethics gift rules impact disaster relief for judges?
By Laura W. Halgren
Canon 4D limits financial aid for judges during the LA fires, allowing assistance from disaster relief, personal relationships...
In response to the California State Bar's guidance on the ethical use of Generative AI in legal pleadings, a California attorn...
In In re Dezi C., 16 Cal.5th 1112 (2024), the California Supreme Court "retconned" the standard for an adequate initi...
The Loper ruling and how it's shaking up agency power
By Brodie H. Smith
The Supreme Court's decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo marks a significant shift in administrative law ...
Civil Procedure
Meet the new Request for Dismissal form CIV-110 (with Code Civ. Proc. § 664.6)
By Michael R. Diliberto
The Judicial Council of California introduced on Jan. 1 a revised Request for Dismissal form (CIV-110), which now includes an ...
CalChamber's federal challenge to SB 399 'captive audience' meetings law
By Rachel E. Balchum
California's new "Worker Freedom from Employer Intimidation Act," SB 399, banning mandatory workplace meetings on political, r...
Military Law, Civil Rights
Navy's historic exoneration of Port Chicago Sailors marks new chapter in civil rights history
By Jonathan U. Lee, Gabriel Milanfar
In a historic decision on the 80th anniversary of the Port Chicago explosion, the U.S. Navy exonerated 256 African American sa...
Constitutional Law
Why I think Huntington Beach's Voter ID law will be upheld
By James V. Lacy
Despite efforts by Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber to overturn Huntington Beach's voter identi...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Whose dollar, whose dream? Navigating third-party payor ethics
By Andrew Browning, Farah Khaled
When representing a client while accepting payment from a third party, CRPC Rule 1.8.6 requires informed written consent, pres...
The term "briefs" in appellate courts, once reflecting concise submissions, has evolved into lengthy documents due to the grow...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Enjoying mediation: Focus and flow for negotiation success
By Tamara Lange
Skilled negotiators achieve better outcomes and greater satisfaction in mediation by entering a "flow state," where intense fo...
Judges and Judiciary
Retired Judge Anthony J. Mohr reflects on Los Angeles' transformation from Eden to ashes
By Anthony J. Mohr
Before Jan. 7, Southern California's idyllic neighborhoods were beloved for their beauty and charm, but the recent wildfires h...
Litigation & Arbitration
Limits on arbitral remedies under the CAA and FAA
By Claude M. Stern
Arbitrators have broad discretion to craft remedies, but they must align with the contract's essence; explicit limits in agree...
LA Fires, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Amid the ashes, lawyers must resist the temptation to chase ambulances
By Elana R. Levine
In the wake of the LA disaster, unscrupulous law firms are exploiting vulnerable fire victims with false promises of guarantee...
Government
The second-term curse: Will Donald Trump defy history?
By Michael A. Genovese
The so-called "second-term curse" has plagued many U.S. presidents, and for Donald Trump, breaking from past patterns of self-...
LA Fires, Insurance
Trial by fire: Testing California's new insurance protections
By Stacy Monahan Tucker
The Los Angeles wildfires mark the first large-scale test of recently enacted California insurance regulations designed to pro...
Jimmy Carter's legacy blends groundbreaking humanitarian efforts, like the Camp David Accords, with controversial positions on...
LA Fires, Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Civil Litigation
Lawyers and disaster victims: Striking a balance between help and hype
By Shant A. Karnikian
In the aftermath of recent fires, disaster victims face a flood of lawyer advertisements and events, highlighting both the vit...
Civil Procedure
Simultaneous § 998 offers: Divergent bright line rules
By Gary A. Watt
Code of Civil Procedure § 998 offers aim to encourage settlement, but recent appellate rulings on simultaneous offers expose a...
The IRS and California FTB have extended tax deadlines and Section 1031 exchange periods to October 15, 2025, providing relief...
Civil Rights
Stubblefield ruling sets new standard for racial bias in courtroom language
By Sam Jacobs
In People v. Stubblefield, the court applied California's Racial Justice Act to vacate a conviction, finding the pros...
LA Fires, Criminal, Alternative Dispute Resolution
Grounded by likes and how rogue drones set firefighting efforts ablaze
By Eric Hanscom
Aerial firefighting, combining air tankers, helicopters, and tactical aircraft, is a critical yet dangerous endeavor often dis...
Technology
AI-fueled fraud and the $10 billion crisis banks can't afford to ignore
By Esther E. Cho, David D. Piper
With financial fraud on the rise, consumers and legislators are expecting more from banks.
LA Fires, Insurance
Emergency-specific property insurance rules: Key state laws for wildfire recovery
By James D. White
In the wake of the Southern California wildfires, property owners filing insurance claims should know California laws offer ex...
The Supreme Court's Jan. 9 ruling allowing Trump's sentencing to proceed highlights the Court's adherence to established legal...
Civil Procedure
Section 998: The high-stakes settlement strategy you need to know
By Peter R. Boutin, Christopher A. Stecher
California Code of Civil Procedure Section 998 shifts costs when a settlement offer is rejected. This article answers 20 key q...
Native Americans, Criminal
Federal Indian law through the prism of criminal jurisdiction
By Mark Vezzola
Federal Indian law reflects a complex interplay between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the U.S. governme...
Criminal
What California's Prop 36 means for legal professionals in drug crime cases
By Arash Hashemi
While a tougher approach to repeat offenders may appease public safety concerns, its success will ultimately depend on whether...
Criminal
The new Independent Defense Counsel Office manages the county's panel of private lawyers who work as independent contractors a...
California's youth justice reforms focus on rehabilitation over punishment, but new policies pushing harsher juvenile prosecut...