Judges and Judiciary, Immigration, Constitutional Law
District judges getting asked to weigh in on constitutional issues in immigration cases
By Chase DiFeliciantonio
While deportation orders are typically the responsibility of the immigration and circuit courts, district judges have increasi...
Civil Litigation, Intellectual Property
‘Comic-Con’ trademark infringer must pay $4M in attorney fees
By Steven Crighton
If any off-brand Comic-Cons are holding firm to their name in the months since a jury found the term to be a trademark-enforce...
Law Practice, Corporate
International trade lawyer joining Crowell & Moring
By Matthew Sanderson
David R. Stepp worked for almost 14 years with Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, and he provides strategic counsel on global cu...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Orange County prosecutor suspended for failing to disclose exculpatory evidence
By Meghann Cuniff
A Orange County deputy district attorney should be suspended for six months for failing to disclose exculpatory evidence to th...
California Supreme Court, State Bar & Bar Associations
First Chinese-American to chair State Bar’s board
By Lyle Moran
Jason P. Lee was appointed to the post by the state Supreme Court.
V. James DeSimone Law attorneys aren’t afraid of taking cases with steep odds.
LA Commissioner Sheryl Beasley ensures litigants understand the collections court processes.
Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Criminal
Oil spill prosecutors denied exculpatory evidence to grand jury, sealed records show
By Blaise Scemama
Sealed documents from the Refugio oil spill criminal negligence trial reveal the prosecution team declined to disclose exculp...
Judges and Judiciary, California Courts of Appeal
State appellate court employees renew push for harassment policy
By Winston Cho
Supporters of a petition circulating around the Court of Appeal are trying to breathe new life into an initiative calling for ...
Criminal
Executive of company that taped attorney-inmate calls said it had known about them for two years
By Meghann Cuniff
An executive at a company that recorded inmate-attorney phone calls in Orange County testified Thursday that he’s known for tw...
Immigration, Government
Senate committee passes bill to allow noncitizens on state boards, commissions
By Malcolm Maclachlan
After a contentious debate delved into national immigration issues, the state Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill Thursda...
Government, Civil Rights
Plaintiffs’ lawyer anticipates defense’s planned cross
By Justin Kloczko
The defense’s strategy was clear: Show the judge that a Latino candidate in Santa Monica intentionally threw his city council ...
Labor/Employment, Government
Bill to ban secret settlements in sexual harassment cases approved by Assembly
By Malcolm Maclachlan
The bill that would bar secret settlements in sexual harassment cases is opposed by business groups.
California Supreme Court
Residents can challenge zoning ordinance via referendum, state high court rules
By Winston Cho
The state Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the authority of county residents to challenge general land use plans through a dir...
Justin Michael Lavelle, 23, was being transported by Lyft driver Tariq Rasheed on Jan. 31 shortly after midnight when Lavelle ...
Law Practice, Intellectual Property
Morgan Lewis adds 9 partners to Orange County office
By Matthew Sanderson
The team, arriving from McDermott Will & Emery LLP, have scientific or engineering backgrounds and many have worked closel...
Community News
Katten Muchin competes in Special Olympics Southern California Plane Pull
By Matthew Sanderson
A team of Katten attorneys, staff, family and friends from the firm’s Century City, downtown LA and Orange County offices comp...
Legal thriller author and appellate lawyer Cynthia Tobisman says writing never gets easier.
Judges and Judiciary, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Ex-Kern County commissioner agrees to judicial ban over Facebook posts
By Meghann Cuniff
A former Kern County Superior Court commissioner has agreed not to serve as a judicial officer again as part of a Commission o...
Government, Criminal
Glitch may have allowed statewide privileged phone call recordings
By Paula Lehman-Ewing
Orange County public defender says sheriff’s deputies are ‘leafing through’ attorneys’ client files before jailhouse meetings.
Government, Criminal
Future cloudy for bill to change state bail system
By Malcolm Maclachlan
The state Senate voted this week for final passage of a bill that would eliminate cash bail in California. Gov. Jerry Brown is...
Labor/Employment, Government
Bill would forbid mandatory arbitration as condition of employment
By Andy Serbe
The bill passed the state Senate on Wednesday, sending the latest legislative response to #MeToo to the governor’s desk, the s...
State Bar & Bar Associations
California Lawyers Association hires SD County Bar CEO
By Lyle Moran
Ellen Miller-Sharp will help the group work closely with other bar associations
U.S. Supreme Court, Intellectual Property, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Lawyers hope case leads to updated 1998 copyright law
By Steven Crighton
Attorneys for a pornographic film producer hope the U.S. Supreme Court sees their infringement case as an opportunity to exami...
Government, Civil Rights
Judge seeks city’s expert report, will rule on privileged work-product question
By Justin Kloczko
The judge in a trial challenging Santa Monica’s at-large election system ordered the city’s attorneys Wednesday to produce a w...
Law Practice
Venable expands firm, IP practice with Fitzpatrick Cella additions
By Matthew Sanderson
Two partners and one associate from Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto’s Costa Mesa office will migrate to Venable LLP la...
Civil Litigation, Environmental & Energy
Chula Vista claims Monsanto chemical contaminated its stormwater infrastructure, San Diego Bay
By Matthew Sanderson
The lawsuit was filed in the Southern District this week, alleging Monsanto knowingly leached polychlorinated biphenyls into i...
Government, Criminal
DA offices to share costs of prosecuting accused Golden State Killer
By Meghann Cuniff
Six counties will jointly prosecute suspected serial killer Joseph J. DeAngelo in Sacramento under an agreement announced Tues...
The prisons department violated the California constitution in denying early parole for a non-violent, third-strike life terme...