U.S. Supreme Court, Intellectual Property
US high court slams patent office over attorney fees
By Glenn Jeffers
The U.S. Supreme Court took the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to task Wednesday, unanimously voting to deny the department'...
Judges and Judiciary, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
9th Circuit nominee confirmed despite ABA rating and home-state opposition
By Brian Cardile
The confirmation delivers Lawrence VanDyke to a Nevada posting over objections from both Silver State senators and \the Americ...
Civil Litigation, Intellectual Property
Beverage giants squeezed out of brand name rights in juice dispute
By Gina Kim
Heirs of Hubert Hansen’s trust control all rights of publicity related to the fresh juice pioneer, not Coca-Cola Co. nor Monst...
Judges and Judiciary, California Supreme Court
Chief justice defends judicial challenges and efforts to fight them
By Craig Anderson
California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye defended the current system in which judges must face voters in retention electio...
Judges and Judiciary, California Supreme Court
Report on state supreme court election spending cites California as model
By Carter Stoddard
While nearly $40 million was spent nationwide in 2017 and 2018 seeking to influence 48 judicial elections for 21 state Supreme...
Judges and Judiciary
Appeals court allows LA judge to remain on opioid litigation
By Meghann Cuniff
A panel rejected 3-0 a writ petition challenging Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge William F. Highberger
An attorney who co-hosted a fundraising event for District Attorney Jackie Lacey’s re-election campaign is defense counsel in ...
Civil Litigation, Education Law, Civil Rights
UC sued over use of admission tests
By Malcolm Maclachlan
Public Counsel has sued the University of California system in a bid to force it to stop using the SAT and ACT as a factor in ...
Immigration, Government
Hueston Hennigan sues to reconnect hotline for detained immigrants
By Nicole Tyau
Freedom for Immigrants claims its hotline was shut down by federal officials after exposure on a popular TV show led to a subs...
Civil Litigation
Judge pauses Tubbs fire trial preparation for 15 days in wake of PG&E settlement
By Winston Cho
A trial was scheduled to start in January over the Tubbs fire, which PG&E says wasn’t its fault though state investigators...
Labor/Employment
2 women attorney plaintiffs in MoFo discrimination suit named
By Gina Kim
Sherry A. William and Joshua A. Klayman have been identified as the women suing Morrison & Foerster LLP, alleging discrimi...
Judges and Judiciary, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Bumatay is confirmed as 1st openly gay man on 9th Circuit
By Brian Cardile
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will seat its first openly gay judge after the Senate confirmed Patrick J. Bumatay Tuesd...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Banking
O’Melveny prepares to seek summary judgment in almost concluded malpractice case
By Blaise Scemama
O’Melveny & Myers LLP said an arbitrator rejected a Chapter 7 trustee’s allegations that it had committed legal malpractic...
Judges and Judiciary
Senior Eastern District judge taking inactive status this month
By Carter Stoddard
Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. “takes a pretty decent portion of the criminal caseload, which will now need to be spread to the ...
Gavin Newsom’s office has yet to signal its approval after the deal was reached Friday evening.
Environmental & Energy, Criminal
Putative federal class awaits criminal restitution for oil spill
By Blaise Scemama
Putative class members suing Plains All American Pipeline LP in a federal class action arising from a massive 2015 oil spill i...
Labor/Employment
Business groups sue state over no forced-arbitration law
By Justin Kloczko
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s challenge to California’s new law that makes it illegal for employers to compel workers into ar...
Judges and Judiciary, Government
Assembly budget chair makes no promises on courts budget
By Malcolm Maclachlan
California’s courts are in line for a 1% increase, about $22 million, in the new fiscal year on their nearly $2.2 billion annu...
An Orange County Superior Court judge is running unopposed in the March 2020 elections after her challenger withdrew from the ...
Judges and Judiciary, Intellectual Property, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Kozinski returns to 9th Circuit, as an advocate
By Brian Cardile
For the first time since his abrupt resignation nearly two years ago, former 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Alex Kozi...
Judges and Judiciary
4 judges face challenges in Southern and Central California
By Justin Kloczko
A new crop of candidates are vying for judge seats across Central and Southern California in 2020, including five attorneys wh...
State Bar & Bar Associations
State Bar plans to prepare extra questions for exam
By Lyle Moran
The agency is also working to prevent another premature leak of test topics.
Criminal
Anti-abortion activists to be tried on fewer charges for taping talks
By Craig Anderson
A judge ruled two anti-abortion activists must face a criminal trial on allegations they illegally recorded Planned Parenthood...
Civil Litigation
Musk tweeted insult not injurious, jury rapidly decides
By Steven Crighton
The schoolyard insult-like nature of Musk’s “pedo guy” tweet and the lack of any actual harm realized by plaintiff Vernon Unsw...
Judges and Judiciary
2020 Judicial Elections in Central & Southern California
By Emilio Aldea
Civil Litigation, Corporate
Shareholder suit claims company downplayed slowing demand for computer chips
By Winston Cho
The company reported in August 2018 it unexpectedly accrued massive product inventory, wiping out over $35 billion in sharehol...
Immigration, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
‘Public charge’ rule permissible; Bybee calls for Congress to act on immigration
By Brian Cardile
The Department of Homeland Security acted within its authority to expand a category of prospective immigrants who may be block...
Government, Environmental & Energy
Judge: Public Watchdogs can’t refile challenge to stop nuclear fuel burial at power plant
By Gina Kim
Lawsuit seeking to stop decommissioning project at San Diego nuclear plant dismissed with prejudice due to lack of subject mat...
Civil Litigation, Intellectual Property
Panel: Ericsson entitled to jury trial in infringement case
By Glenn Jeffers
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Court on Thursday reversed, vacated, and remanded a Central District ruling against ...
Civil Litigation, Judges and Judiciary
US judge slams $4M sanction on defendant for destroying evidence
By Blaise Scemama
The judge also granted default judgment to CrossFit Inc. in its false advertising suit against the National Strength and Condi...