Criminal, California Supreme Court
Supervening ameliorative legislation applies to the constitutional maximum
By Marshall Grasty
The California Supreme Court ruled that defendants are entitled to retroactive application of ameliorative legislation, like A...
My column, which presented an imaginary memo supporting annexation, was intended as deadpan satire, but may have been misunder...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Data Privacy
Consider confidentiality before you post
By Shari L. Klevens, Alanna G. Clair
As online platforms become essential for business development and communication, lawyers must navigate the ethical responsibil...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Mediating with a financially impaired defendant
By Joseph Lovretovich
In employment mediation involving financially strained employers, the focus often shifts from liability and damages to finding...
Civil Rights, California Courts of Appeal
Racial Justice Act or racial justice pause? Court limits remedies in key ruling
By K. Chike Odiwe
The California Court of Appeal's ruling in R.D. v. Superior Court (People) limits the remedies available under the Rac...
Law Practice
Preparing company witnesses for trial: Psychological insights and practical strategies
By Stacy Hambleton, Julia Romano
With nuclear verdicts on the rise and increasing anti-corporate skepticism, defense attorneys must leverage psychology to prep...
President Donald Trump wants foreign lands and resources, but post-WWII international law stands firmly in his way. Here's why...
Wills, Estates & Trusts
Guidance in distinguishing a trust reformation from a trust contest: Packard v. Packard
By Denise E. Chambliss
In Packard v. Packard (2025), the California appellate court ruled that a petition to reform a trust based on a mista...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Constitutional Law
Upholding the rule of law in the face of presidential lawlessness
By Gay C. Grunfeld
In the wake of controversial executive orders, Gay Grunfeld argues lawyers must become the first line of defense for constitut...
State Bar & Bar Associations, Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Constitutional Law
Lawyers, politics and defending justice
By Mark L. Tuft
The American Bar Association urges lawyers to defend the rule of law, emphasizing the importance of judicial independence, the...
Law Practice, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Dial before you file: The forgotten power of attorney phone calls
By Ohia Amadi
Phone calls with opposing counsel may feel uncomfortable, but they can save time, build rapport, and resolve cases more effici...
Technology, Data Privacy
Pixel privacy pitfalls put websites at risk
By Tyler R. Dowdall
A demand letter threatening litigation over the use of a website tracking pixel as a "pen register" highlights the evolving in...
Civil Procedure
Message in a bottle: reconsidering service by publication
By Ashfaq G. Chowdhury
In California, service by publication allows a party to notify another by publishing legal notices in a newspaper after reason...
Evidence, Criminal, Civil Procedure
Broken rules, broken justice: The DNA evidence problem
By Chesa Boudin
When law enforcement breaks its own rules for DNA evidence collection, the damage extends far beyond any single investigation ...
Land Use, Environmental & Energy
CEQA: California's last line of defense against Trump's environmental rollbacks
By Kevin P. Bundy, Jennifer Ganata
As the Trump administration weakens federal environmental protections, California's Environmental Quality Act remains a critic...
Labor/Employment, Immigration
ICE enforcement actions: How to protect your business when using staffing agencies
By Spencer Hamer
Assuming your staffing agency alone bears the risk of ICE enforcement can be a costly mistake that leads to hefty fines, legal...
Labor/Employment, Administrative/Regulatory
Downsizing Washington for a bigger and better America
By Xinying Huang
President Trump's aggressive federal workforce cuts aim to reduce the deficit and streamline government operations, despite wi...
March is Women's History Month. Here are a few of the many women who helped protect our country.
Torts/Personal Injury, Construction
Chain reaction: Who's really at fault in the scissor lift fall?
By Garret D. Murai
The legal issue in Camacho v. JLG Industries Inc. is whether JLG should be liable for a construction worker's injuries...
U.S. Supreme Court, Criminal
SCOTUS favors Napue over Brady in rare death penalty reversal inGlossip
By Maya James, Max Alderman
In a surprising turn, the Supreme Court elevates Napue's false testimony standard over Brady's evidence disclosure req...
State Bar & Bar Associations, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
How to navigate the stormy seas of a State Bar investigation
By Randall A. Miller
An official communication from the California State Bar can trigger panic, but understanding the investigation process - from ...
Forms 1099 are key tax reminders, and errors can trigger IRS audits, making accuracy crucial; promptly correct mistakes to avo...
Lessons from the court for avoiding disqualification based on past representations
By John B. Sullivan, Sarah Baig
When can an attorney use a client's confidential information for protection?
By Erin M. Joyce
Tone at the top: The ethics of wellness and the duty to supervise
By Wendy L. Patrick
A practical overview of how the California Rules of Professional Conduct influence a legal malpractice trial
By Marshall R. Cole
Disciplinary consequences of a violation of California's Racial Justice Act
By Mark L. Tuft
When is it time to quit? Aging boomers hold on despite the malpractice risks
By Jason E. Fellner, Farah Khaled
Navigating the State Bar complaint process from start to finish
By James I. Ham
Technology, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Take note regarding the use of notetakers
By David M. Majchrzak