Judicial Profile
Judge Huy T. Nguyen, a former public defender, brings humility to family court
ADR Profile
Retired judge Teresa Sanchez-Gordon brings LA vibe to dispute resolution
Firm Profile
Pointer & Buelna is building a next generation civil rights law firm
MCLE
How California's strict AI rules threaten access to justice for public defenders and low income litigants
California's proposed attorney ethics rules requiring law...
By Joe StephensLes Misérables, Aujourd'hui: Trump immigration policies create the 'scofflaws' they condemn
Trump administration immigration policies are not merely ...
By Lizbeth Iniguez, Sergio A. PerezThe United States Space Force: The 6th branch
The Space Force is more than America's newest military br...
By Eileen C. Moore
Today's News
Torts/Personal Injury
Widow claims LASD ignored training protocols before fatal grenade blast
By Douglas Saunders Sr.
The widow of a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy killed in a bomb squad training explosion has sued the county and Sheriff's Department, alleging officials...
Consumer Protection Law
FDA's false-positive finding unlikely to derail Cyclospora investigation, lawsuits
By Alicia Alvarez, Skyler Romero
Lawsuits in several states including California were filed last week after the FDA linked recalled iceberg lettuce to a multistate Cyclospora outbreak. The a...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility
State Bar judge sets March trial for Kiesel disciplinary case despite discovery concerns
By Laurinda Keys
A State Bar Court judge rejected requests to delay setting a firm trial date in attorney Paul Kiesel's disciplinary case, while promising flexibility to reso...
Intellectual Property
Anthropic settlement wins final approval; judge reduces lawyers' fee request by $86M
By Daniel Schrager
A federal judge gave final approval to a $1.5 billion class action settlement resolving claims that Anthropic used pirated books to train its AI models, whil...
Criminal
DOJ's midtrial exit from Pangang case raises questions, former prosecutors say
By Daniel Schrager
Former federal prosecutors say the Justice Department's decision to dismiss economic espionage charges against Chinese steelmaker Pangang Group after trial h...
Attorneys told a Los Angeles judge they have tentatively agreed to pursue mediation over disputed abuse settlement overlaps, delaying a ruling on whether dis...
Columns
Effective deposition preparation strikes a careful balance between ensuring a witness is informed and confident without crossi...
Family
Divergence, not deficit: Disability and neurodiversity in family court
By Abbas Hadjian
The 14th Annual Cultural Competency in Family Law Practice Seminar will explore how disability and neurodiversity affect famil...
Torts/Personal Injury, LA Fires
The wildfire docket wave: lessons the plaintiffs' bar keeps relearning
By Federico Lathrop
The lessons from California's mass fire litigation show that early evidence preservation, careful evaluation of compensation p...
Verdicts & Settlements
| Auto v. Bicycle | Leah Hickey v. Rebecca Harr... | $8,472,008 |
| Excessive Force | K'aun Green v. City of San ... | $8,000,000 |
| Product Liability | Elijah Whetzel v. Asmodus, ... | $8,000,000 |
| Wage and Hour | Erich Tran, an individual, ... | $4,000,000 |
| Auto v. Auto | Cornelius Porter III v. Pre... | $1,800,000 |
| Fire | Hailee Erikson, et al. v. C... | $1,500,000 |
| Wage and Hour | Thomas Foster Byler III, in... | $1,327,500 |
| Wage and Hour | Gary E. Foster, an individu... | $1,100,000 |
| Auto v. Pedestrian | John Doe v. Roe Driver, Roe... | $1,000,000 |
| Wage and Hour | David Heath, individually, ... | $950,000 |
On the Move
Sheppard
Alina Litoshyk Adams joined Sheppard as a partner in San Diego.
Details
Sheppard has 1251 attorneys in 16 offices including Century City, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Del Mar and San Diego. Among the law firm’s key practice areas are Litigation, employment, trusts & estates, real estate, corporate. The firm’s website is sheppard.com
Featured Content
Insurance defense attorneys have long been on the front lines for their clients. Now they're facing a new threat: the carriers...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
JAMS neutrals examine how evolving PAGA reforms, shifting case law and data-driven claims are reshaping mediation strategies i...
Where process, technology and human impact meet
Community News
ASCDC's 2026 Hall of Fame award recipients: Superior Court Judge Ruth A. Kwan, Robert A. Morgenstern of Morgenstern Law Group APLC and Deborah Chang of Chang | Klein LLP
2nd District Court of Appeal Justice Stephen I. Goorvitch, Los Angeles Supervising Civil Judge Lawrence P. Riff and David M. Axelrad of Horvitz & Levy LLP
Paul R. Fine of Schonbuch Hallissy LLP and Edith R. Matthai of JAMS
ASCDC Vice President Lindy F. Bradley of Lagasse Branch Bell + Kinkead LLP and Jonathan R. Gerber of Schonbuch Hallissy LLP
(Ret.) Judge Stephen P. Pfahler of ADR Services Inc., Superior Court Judges Jessica C. Kronstadt, Maria Jhai, Daniel M. Crowley, ASCDC’s “Judge of the Year” Ruth A. Kwan, Brian J. Panish of Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP and Judge Mary Ann Murphy
(Ret.) Judge Stephen P. Pfahler of ADR Services Inc. and Superior Court Judge Karine M. Mkrtchyan
Superior Court Judges E. Carlos Dominguez, Janet E. Hong, Karine M. Mkrtchyan, ASCDC’s “Judge of the Year” Ruth A. Kwan, Lawrence P. Riff, Jana M. Seng, Wendy Segall and Jessica C. Kronstadt
ADR Services Inc.’s mediator Stacie L. Feldman Hausner and Founder and President Lucie A. Barron; ASCDC’s “Civil Advocate” Deborah Chang of Chang | Klein LLP and mediator Steven M. Sepassi of ADR Services Inc.
Michael J. Franco of Winston Taylor LLP and Celeena B. Pompeo of Wilson Elser
(Ret.) Judge Stephen P. Pfahler of ADR Services Inc., Superior Court Judge Jessica C. Kronstadt, ASCDC’s “Civil Advocate” honoree Deborah Chang of Chang | Klein LLP and ASCDC Vice President Lindy F. Bradley of Lagasse Branch Bell + Kinkead LLP
Diana Choe of Rockport Healthcare; Stefani Freeburg, Regional Sales Manager at Lexitas and Rick Merrill of Merrill
(Ret.) Judge Zaven V. Sinanian of Signature Resolution, Gary A. Dordick of Dordick Law Corporation, ASCDC’s “Hall of Fame” honoree Robert A. Morgenstern of Morgenstern Law Group APLC and Howard C. Kornberg of Law Offices of Howard Kornberg
Christa H. Ramey of Ramey Law PC, Superior Court Judge Daniel S. Murphy, (Ret.) Judge Gregory Keosian of ADR Services Inc. And Superior Court Judge Randolph M. Hammock
David M. Axelrad of Horvitz & Levy LLP and Kevin C. Mayer of Logan Mayer LLP
Superior Court Judges Linda L. Sun, Elaine Lu and Jessica C. Kronstadt
ASCDC President Alice L. Chen Smith of Yoka Smith LLP with honorees Superior Court Judge Ruth A. Kwan, Robert A. Morgenstern of Morgenstern Law Group APLC and Deborah Chang of Chang | Klein LLP; and Christa H. Ramey of Ramey Law PC
Brian J. Panish of Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP and Victor L. George of Law Offices of Victor L. George
Lisa Payne, Business Development Manager of ARC Alternative Resolution Center; mediator/arbitrator Anthony S. Khoury of Westlake Village, Andrew O. Smith of Andrew Smith Mediation and Marjorie Luna, Chief Financial Officer or ARC Alternative Resolution Center
Walter M. Yoka of Yoka | Smith LLP and Drew E. Pomerance of Roxborough Pomerance Nye & Adreani
Amy K. Jensen of Hanover Law Office; Timothy Kidd, Client Executive at Esquire Deposition Solutions LLC and Michelle Williamson, Director of Business Development at Lexitas
(Ret.) Judge Patricia M. Schnegg of Judicate West and Linda B. Hurevitz of Ballard Rosenberg Golper & Savitt LLP
Scott L. Hengesbach of Signature Resolution and Randy K. Jones of JAMS
2nd District Court of Appeal Justice Stephen I. Goorvitch and Superior Court Judge Jessica C. Kronstadt
YA Group’s Case Analyst Victor Rangel and Senior Managing Accident Reconstructionist David Daren
Skane Mills’ Aaron Arellanos, Senior Partners Heather L. Mills and Robin L. Diem
Sevy W. Fisher of The Simon Law Group, Michael N. Schonbuch of Schonbuch Hallissy LLP and Howard C. Kornberg of Law Offices of Howard Kornberg
Kjar McKenna & Stockalper’s Catherine R.T. Schiff, Chaena B. Dade and Patrick E. Stockalper
David M. Samuels of Signature Resolution and Joshua J. Molchan of Dordick Law Group
Dordick Law Corporation’s Mark J. Leonardo, Kacie Huntsman and Danielle S. Dhari
(Ret.) Judge John M. Pacheco of Signature Resolution, Michael N. Schonbuch of Schonbuch Hallissy LLP and Howard C. Kornberg of Law Offices of Howard Kornberg
Stephen C. Grebing of Wingert Grebing Brubaker & Walshok LLP and (Ret.) Judge John M. Pacheco of Signature Resolution
Superior Court Judges Stephanie Story and Upinder Kalra
Superior Court Judges Stephanie Story, ASCDC’s “Judge of the Year” Ruth A. Kwan, Jana M. Seng and Karine M. Mkrtchyan
JAMS' Senior Vice President Brian Parmelee and mediator Donna D. Melby, and Superior Court Judge Mary Ann Murphy
Superior Court Judges Lauren A.R. Lofton and Ian C. Fusselman, and (Ret.) Judge Carlos R. Moreno of JAMS
Lagasse Branch Bell + Kinkead LLP's summer clerk Mia Sher and ASCDC Vice President Lindy F. Bradley, and Mayra A. Fornos of ADR Services Inc.
Lisa J. McMains of Schonbuch Hallissy LLP, Lagasse Branch Bell + Kinkead LLP’s summer clerk Mia Sher and Kathryn P. Canale
Brian J. Panish of Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP, Michelle Williamson of Lexitas and Kathryn P. Canale of Lagasse Branch Bell + Kinkead LLP
The Association of Southern California Defense Counsel honored Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ruth A. Kwan, defense attorney Robert A. Morgenstern and trial lawyer Deborah Chang at its 2026 Hall of Fame Awards, recognizing their contributions to California's civil justice system through judicial service, advocacy and professional leadership.
Daily Appellate Report
Trusts and Estates
Grimberg v. Pour
Lis pendens order in probate proceeding was reviewable only by timely writ petition.
Immigration
Garcia Demetrio v. Blanche
Age is an "immutable" feature upon which a member of a particularized social group may seek asylum because a person cannot change their age to escape persecution.
Criminal Law and Procedure
Sua v. Superior Court (People)
Requesting mental health diversion does not authorize compelled prosecution mental examination.
Insurance, Civil Rights
Ison v. Lara
Use of marital status as a factor when setting automobile insurance rates was consistent with the protections of the Unruh Civil Rights Act.
Criminal Law and Procedure
U.S. v. Holcomb
District court erroneously admitted evidence of child pornography discovered after the initial probable cause to search defendant's computer, and the officer's good faith, had dissipated.