Police exploit a little-known provision that outlaws riding a bicycle at night without a headlamp, in order to target the poor...
Law Practice, Judges and Judiciary
Individuals, Not Government, Deserve Legal Protections
By Robert L. Bastian Jr.
Although no statute exists to support qualified immunity, conservative judges routinely rule as if it is a robust and broadly ...
Entertaining though they may be, in most cases, poetry and limericks do not belong in judges' rulings. ...
William F. Buckley Jr.'s fudged insights on the tort system fostered misunderstandings about government, the courts and the la...
Forum Column - By Erwin Chemerinsky - A troubling Supreme Court decision shows the justices' willingness to help business at t...
Focus Column - By Benjamin G. Shatz and Christopher D. LeGras - Depending on the court, attorneys might have little recourse w...
California's Supreme Court justices should take the lead and legalize gay marriage regardless of the probable political ramif...
Patent Possibilities
By Jennifer R. Bush
Focus Column - By Jennifer R. Bush and Rajiv P. Patel - Litigants are increasingly turning to re-examinations, either as a mea...
I do hospice volunteer work, offering care and support to residents during the last hours of their lives. The experience has ...
Obtaining attorney fees in cases that affect the public can be exceptionally complex under the private attorney general law. ...
The paragon of an ethical, decent lawyer, Atticus Finch from "To Kill a Mockingbird" has relevant lessons to teach today's at...
U.S. Supreme Court, Constitutional Law
The Supreme Court Closes the Door on Federal Prisoners
By Erwin Chemerinsky
Forum Column - By Erwin Chemerinsky - A recent Supreme Court ruling will leave federal prisoners with no remedy for the neglig...
A recent ruling leaves the legality of health insurance policy recissions uncertain. ...
Wage War
By Charlotte Fishman
Forum Column - By Charlotte Fishman - Congress has the opportunity to undo the damage to women's rights created by a Supreme C...
Litigation & Arbitration, U.S. Supreme Court, Alternative Dispute Resolution, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Contract Conflict
By Lawrence Waddington
The state Supreme Court and the 9th Circuit both have generated murky procedures guiding classwide arbitration agreements for ...
Insurance policyholders should take stock of their options for bad-faith recovery from providers. ...
The union model, though beneficial to millions working in private businesses, can be devastatingly costly when applied to the ...
Demystifying the High Court
By Mary Lou Byrne
Focus Column - By Mary Lou Katz - A working knowledge of how the state Supreme Court conducts its business is crucial for Cali...
Judges and Judiciary
Ill-Tempered Judges Should Treat Their Fellow Lawyers With Respect
By William Domnarski
Forum Column - By William Domnarski - Lawyers have little legal recourse when faced with ill-tempered judges but should insist...
Politicians, comedians and judges are all guilty of sometimes taking credit where it isn't due. ...
Forum Column - By Erwin Chemerinsky - A recent state Supreme Court decision reaffirmed the right to free-speech activities at ...
Law Practice
Bank on It: Lawyers Can Profit - and Alleviate Global Poverty
By David A. Lash
Forum Column - By David A. Lash - Financial lenders and corporate lawyers can help alleviate global poverty and turn a profit ...
The Supreme Court's two death penalty cases prove the justices care more about being tough on crime than about common sense an...
Criminal
Legalized Gambling Can Solve California's Fiscal, Environmental Problems
By Konrad Moore
Both the Golden State's swelling budget deficit and the abundance of greenhouse gas emissions caused by commutes from Southern...
Law Practice, Criminal
In Tough-on-Crime 21st Century, Prison Careers Could Spell Success
By Konrad Moore
The greatest entry-level job in California isn't in medicine or the law; it's being a prison guard. ...
How long does a law firm remain exposed to a potential malpractice claim after an attorney leaves the firm and takes a client ...
Forum Column - By Erwin Chemerinsky - There's middle ground between ignoring victims of government injustice and disclosing in...
Law Practice
Off Camera, Hollywood's Elite Lawyers Play Starring Roles
By William Domnarski
Forum Column - By William Domnarski - The world of big-ticket entertainment lawyers is rather small, but the attorneys wield d...
The recent post-surgical death of Kanye West's mother and the accidental injection of Dennis Quaid's infant twins with a highl...
U.S. Supreme Court, Environmental & Energy
Remedying Oil Catastrophes
By Richard M. Frank
The combination of the recent oil spill in San Francisco and the Supreme Court's upcoming ruling on a case involving the Exxon...