A lengthy brief can be concise if the author comes to each point quickly, writes clearly and omits all fluff. But a 15 page br...
Are ballot selfies legal in California? They are not, but only for a few more months. California recently lifted the ban on ba...
A number of ballot propositions could significantly improve the state's criminal justice system — the focus of the U.S. Suprem...
Government, Criminal
Sentencing reform initiative will discard progress
By Mitchell Keiter
Proposition 57 will actually demolish a generation's worth of sentencing reforms that explain why California's violent crime r...
The opening paragraph will provide an explanation or, if you will, a warning that this column is about an intensely personal m...
Judges and Judiciary
A Fable
Once upon a time there was a land that resolved disputes through a wondrous system called "Litigation." By David M. Balabanian...
Superior Court Judge Los Angeles County (Torrance) ...
Superior Court Judge Kern County (Bakersfield) ...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
The art of saving face through mediation
By Jan Frankel Schau
Mediations can help parties settle by offering creative remedies or solutions to parties whose underlying conflicts are that t...
Judges and Judiciary
Attorney at large: a talk with the Solomon Islands' chief justice
By Julie L. Kessler
With the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor and 100th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's birth coming up, there's been renewed int...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
A blueprint for success in commercial arbitration
By Zela Claiborne
The preliminary conference, the first step in a commercial arbitration post arbitrator selection, offers a unique opportunity ...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Avoid common errors made in mediation
By Douglas E. Noll
Don't let the informality of mediation and the predictability of the process lead you into a false sense of mastery — lawyers ...
At a recent tax conference, an IRS official provided an expansive definition of non-willful conduct, stating that even conduct...
Forum selection clauses are automatically invalid and unenforceable in ERISA cases, so say two federal district courts, buckin...
Civil Litigation, Law Practice
Simple fix could cut down on class action settlement objections
By Ari J. Stiller
There are two types of objectors to class action settlements. At first, they look the same. On close inspection, however, it b...
The fact that our fundamental law of the land will vary dramatically depending on the political party that appoints justices i...
GC Email
Court says 'continuous trigger' rule applies to construction defect
By Caroline L. Meneau
Determining the date on which a potentially insured injury occurred can be relatively simple in a traditional insurance claim,...
While the latest discoveries about the level of Trump's tax aggression probably will not change too many hearts or minds -- it...
Last week, the 9th Circuit reversed decades-old precedent when it abandoned its standard for awarding attorney fees in Lanham ...
Government
Prop 51: don't allow the perfect to become the enemy of the good
By David W. Kesselman
The ballot initiative, which aims to provide funding for the modernization of schools in California, enjoys bipartisan support...
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in NLRB v. Southwest General could have major implications for how quickly and effe...
As the election hopes of Donald Trump dim and the possibility of a Democratic Senate increase, Republicans, including Sens. Te...
Civil Litigation, Law Practice
Ensure that your clients pay your fees
By Lorraine M. Walsh
After spending countless hours, months and even years working on a case, the last thing you want to worry about is not getting...
California Neutrals
California Neutrals
California Neutrals
California Neutrals
Arbitrators to decide on class arbitration – for now
California Neutrals
California Neutrals
Ever since a major breach of a large bank in 2014, regulators have been working to craft regulations that impose higher techni...