Technology, Environmental & Energy, Administrative/Regulatory
California's data centers face a climate cooling dilemma
By Chang Kyoung (CK) Choi, Kyung-Bon Lee
California's booming data centers face a climate-driven "cooling dilemma," as rising heat, water scarcity, wildfires and strai...
Marking his 50th year as a judge, Justice Arthur Gilbert reflects with humor on numerology, celebrity and a chance encounter w...
Evidence
Back-to-school hearsay quiz: Your California evidence law refresher
By Ashfaq G. Chowdhury
As schools return and court activity picks up, now is a great time for California attorneys to revisit key evidence principles...
The California Supreme Court, in People v. Lamb, narrows the scope of People v. Sanchez, holding that an expert...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Can we talk? Mediation is a calmer, quicker, and more cost-effective solution for housing disputes
By Mae Villanueva
Mediation in landlord-tenant disputes is an underused but growing tool that offers attorneys and clients faster, more affordab...
The Arms Act may work for Congress, but not for the country - it remains a chief stumbling block to shielding Americans from t...
Law Office Management
Why being in the office still matters for young litigators
By David Tiraturyan
Although technology has revolutionized how we practice law, there's something irreplaceable about the informal knowledge trans...
Technology, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
The Lincoln Restoration: How AI is returning lawyers to their counselor roots
By James Mixon
As AI commoditizes the technical skills that have dominated legal education for over a century, lawyers are rediscovering what...
President Trump's sweeping claim of unilateral impoundment authority--already tested in Congress, the courts, and recent emerg...
Criminal, Constitutional Law
'Had so much fun' - the pursuit policy putting lives at risk
By Robert L. Bastian Jr.
Calling high-speed chases "fun," federal officials have embraced a perilous pursuit policy that prizes the thrill of the chase...
Civil Litigation
CAALA Convention 2025: Recognition, resilience and renewal
By Baruch C. Cohen
At CAALA's 2025 convention in Las Vegas, trial lawyers found more than seminars -- they found camaraderie, recognition, faith ...
Litigation & Arbitration, California Supreme Court
California Supreme Court's Hohenshelt ruling injects equity into arbitration fees enforcement
By Jasmin B. Bhandari
California Supreme Court's Hohenshelt v. Superior Court ruling upholds arbitration fee deadlines while allowing...
Entertainment & Sports
How movies foretold the perils of the Trump administration
By Selwyn D. Whitehead
From nuclear satire to political farce, these movies offer a prophetic lens on the dangers of Trump's leadership.
Immigration, Constitutional Law
Stripped of citizenship? 9th Circuit's Moncada ruling sparks statelessness concerns
By Steven Hirsch
Despite decades of government assurances that he was a U.S. citizen, Roberto Moncada was stripped of that status -- exposing h...
Criminal, Constitutional Law
Trump's cashless bail orders target a pretrial release system that doesn't exist in California
By Allison B. Margolin, Truman J. Costello
Trump's executive orders targeting "cashless bail" could threaten to withhold federal funds from states like California, even ...
Family
Navigating the challenge of subsequent restraining orders under California's DVPA
By Firdaus F. Dordi, Rosa Vaquera-Martinez
California's domestic violence law leaves unresolved questions about how courts should handle subsequent restraining orders wh...
Failing to promptly remit withheld payroll taxes is one of the most dangerous mistakes a business can make -- triggering perso...
Real Estate/Development, Civil Rights
Eviction destabilizes not only housing, but also food security and community
By Jenna Myers Karvunidis
Eviction is never just about housing -- it dismantles kitchens, neighborhoods, and stability itself, cascading into hunger, ho...
Consumer Protection Law
SB 825: Expanding state consumer financial protection
By Robert S. McWhorter
California's Senate Bill 825 would expand the DFPI's enforcement authority over state-licensed financial institutions by elimi...
In a rare clash at a 1982 Commission on Judicial Appointments hearing, Governor-elect George Deukmejian blocked outgoing Gover...
Legal Education, Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Constitutional Law
What to do with a racist law student?
By Myron Moskovitz
Preston Damsky's capstone paper arguing for a white ethno-state earned the highest grade from Judge John L. Badalamenti, spark...
Civil Litigation
How lawyers can turn empathy into multi-million-dollar verdicts
By Brian Chase
This year's presentation, "The Big Ask: Lessons for Closings," explores how lawyers can authentically and strategically empowe...
Law Practice
Vicarious trauma in the legal profession: Understanding the cost of caring
By Cristina Garcia
Lawyers who handle trauma cases can absorb their clients' pain, risking vicarious trauma--emotional, physical, and mental burn...
Torts/Personal Injury, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Remembering civility during client interactions: A guide for personal injury lawyers
By Eric V. Traut
In personal injury litigation, civility is not just a professional duty but a vital tool that helps clients navigate trauma wi...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Civil Litigation
Respect makes the strongest case
By Joseph M. Barrett
A recent trial highlighted how civility in the courtroom can shape jury deliberations, build trust and strengthen the integrit...
Law Office Management
Boutiques in bloom: Why big law needs small firms - and small firms need big vision
By John A. Hartog, Jeffrey W. Roberts
Law firm merger activity is rising, driven in part by larger firms seeking the specialized expertise, cultural alignment and l...
Robert Wood's latest column highlights how lawyers view Trump's use of charitable settlement deductions as a potential tax trap.
Civil Litigation
Making the courtroom trauma informed when wounds are invisible
By Michael S. Carrillo
A trauma-informed approach allows the courtroom to recognize and validate the invisible scars of sexual abuse survivors, helpi...
Technology, Law Practice
Practicing law in the age of AI: Caution required
By Erin M. Joyce, Natalie Manoukian
Artificial intelligence is being used more frequently in legal practice, making it important for attorneys to verify accuracy,...
Law Practice
Are conferences for lawyers a waste of time and money or a venue full of business opportunities?
By George Brandon
Are legal conferences worth the investment or just an expensive distraction? This month's column breaks down the real ROI of a...