Constitutional Law
ICE shooting highlights lack of civil remedy after Bivens void
By Robert L. Bastian Jr.
The fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis violated the Fourth Amendment's ban on unreasonable seizures,...
LA Fires, Insurance
Burned twice: 5 signs of bad faith in total-loss wildfire claims
By Brian S. Kabateck, Shant A. Karnikian
More than a year after the Eaton and Palisades fires, many families still cannot rebuild because insurers quietly shortchange ...
Litigation & Arbitration
California's rise as global hub for international arbitration: What it means for counsel, businesses
By Giorgio Sassine
California's emergence as a seat for international arbitration reflects its growing role in cross-border commerce--and carries...
Tax, LA Fires
California wildfire victims get major tax breaks under new law
By Robert W. Wood
California has finally delivered broad tax relief for wildfire settlements--but new legal definitions and shifting requirement...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Civil Procedure, Civil Litigation
Zoom depositions: The good, the bad and the unsettled
By Adam M. Carlson
Remote depositions offer undeniable efficiencies in time and cost, but they also raise serious concerns about witness coaching...
Family, Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy filings during divorce: What happens next?
By James P. Menton Jr.
When a spouse files for bankruptcy amid divorce proceedings, family law attorneys face complex questions about automatic stays...
Technology, Data Privacy
Green light for CIPA: New federal court ruling fuels digital tracking class actions
By David J. Oberly, Matthew G. White
A recent California federal court ruling has revived CIPA pen-register claims based on common website tracking tools, heighten...
Labor/Employment
California employers face sweeping 2026 compliance deadlines
By Jeremy M. Mittman, Eric D. Engelman
California employers enter 2026 with sweeping new labor laws, making now a critical time to reassess workplace policies and en...
Intellectual Property
Matthew McConaughey fights AI deepfakes one clip at a time
By Josh Eichenstein
McConaughey is trademarking 'Alright, alright, alright'--and himself--to fight AI deepfakes before they fight him.
The Trump administration's most consequential norm-breaking act may be its sidelining of senior JAG officers and targeting of ...
Chuck Klosterman's claim that Tom Brady is not football's GOAT underscores a simple point: greatness in team endeavors--whethe...
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 & Bar Associations, Civil Litigation
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...
Law Practice
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 ...
Technology, Litigation & Arbitration, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
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...
Long before today's trade wars, tariff disputes helped shape the legal definition of art--forcing courts to draw lines between...
Civil Litigation
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...
Civil Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution
Effective settlement: Knowledge, timing and preparation
By Evelio Grillo
Successful settlement conferences depend on often-overlooked fundamentals like timing, case knowledge and preparation--includi...
Tax, Corporate, Alternative Dispute Resolution
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...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
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...
State Bar & Bar Associations, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
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...