Family, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Understanding the role of minor's counsel in family law cases
By Emily Faye Robinson
In family law, minor's counsel represents the child's best interests in custody disputes. Contrary to misconceptions, they d...
Judges and Judiciary
The case for reforming judicial elections in California
By Eugene M. Hyman
The current methods of filling judicial benches through costly elections with low voter turnout or appointment by the govern...
In Hunter v. U.S. Department of Education, LGBTQ+ students sued the Department of Education for alleged discrimination...
Consumer Protection Law, Consumer Law
Forever chemicals may finally make their exit
By Anne Marie Ellis
Understanding new PFAS laws taking effect in 2025 in California and New York, and the Toxic Substances Control Act: Critical ...
Real Estate/Development, Government
A look at Prop 33, the state's latest effort to expand rent control
By Riley Cutner-Orrantia, Eurie Hwang
Proposition 33 aims to expand rent control to post-1995 properties by repealing Costa-Hawkins. Supporters say it will curb ...
Torts/Personal Injury
Understanding the essential standards and legal obligations of state detox and rehab facilities
By Arash Sadat, Roya Angha
Thousands of people die in treatment facilities due to negligence and failures in care. New laws protect patients' rights and ...
International Law, Family
Navigating the rough waters of foreign support orders
By Gary Kearney
Enforcing foreign support orders in California is complex due to diverse laws. While the Recognition Act, adopted by most stat...
Torts/Personal Injury, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Uber has a duty of care to its drivers
By Philip M. Howe
The Ninth Circuit reversed Uber's summary judgment in a wrongful death case, ruling Uber had a special relationship with the d...
Torts/Personal Injury, Technology
Legal liability concerns in artificial intelligence: What you need to know
By Timothy Spangler
California's SB 1047 seeks to regulate AI, but it could hinder innovation. As AI evolves, the legal system must be as flexib...
Insurance, Health Care & Hospital Law
California maternity unit closures are limiting care options across the state
By Amy Chen, Holly Smith
California has seen a significant decrease in maternity units in hospitals over the past 10 years, with 46 hospitals closing t...
Torts/Personal Injury, Government
Get ready for increased street signage
By Garret D. Murai
The California Supreme Court has ruled that Government Code section 830.6, which protects public entities from claims alleg...
Torts/Personal Injury
Ring, ring, ring... The latest update to NIED is here
By Jonathan H. Davidi
The California Supreme Court has broadened negligent infliction of emotional distress claims to include plaintiffs who were no...
Bay Area courts are urged to follow Los Angeles's example and allow judges to create an electronic recording of certain court ...
Who was Arcadia Bandini de Stearns Baker, and what did she have to do with veterans?
Wills, Estates & Trusts
With great power (of attorney) comes great responsibility
By Zachary J. Johnson
Power of attorney documents help manage affairs but can spark legal disputes. California laws offer some enforcement options f...
Business Law
California court clarifies restrictions on competition in business transactions
By Shain Wasser
California law generally favors open competition and employee mobility, rendering non-compete clauses void unless they meet sp...
Litigation & Arbitration, Contracts
It's a small world that can be wrapped with one click
By Arash Homampour
In today's world, the clickwrap agreement is as ubiquitous as the air we breathe. We cannot watch, purchase or take part in an...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Attorney bios without the risk: Ethical obligations to consider
By Shari L. Klevens, Alanna G. Clair
Attorneys must comply with ethical obligations when drafting and updating their online bios, which serve as a marketing tool t...
Appellate lawyers can be caught off guard by unexpected questions from Justices, potentially leading to an affirmance based on...
Law Practice, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
The things we have learned over the past year (or not)
By Scott J. Nord
Many legal professionals continue to struggle with appropriate conduct during remote court appearances, including dressing ina...
Form 1099 reports payments of $600 or more to payees, including independent contractors and lawyers. Used by the IRS to match...
Torts/Personal Injury, Technology
Inside the clubhouse: the growing cyber threats facing country clubs
By Daniel B. Garrie, Jennifer Deutsch
Country clubs are prime targets for cyberattacks due to the sensitive data they store. To stay protected, they should enforce...
Technology
Cities target traffic fatalities with technology and lowered speed limits
By Donavon J. Sawyer
Why lowering speed limits makes sense, and why human nature might always stand in the way.
Intellectual Property
Navigating the NDCA's new whistleblower protections in the context of trade secret misappropriation claims
By Andrew S. Ong, Ariel E. Rogers
he United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California has announced a Whistleblower Pilot Program. GCs sh...
Family
New California child support law SB 343 aims to better reflect parents' financial status
By Ashley W. Edwards
SB 343 provides much-needed change to the Family Code to include more income sources in child support calculations, mandates t...
Data Privacy, Criminal
Controversy over geofence searches - privacy issues and legal debates
By Abraham C. Meltzer
The status of federal geofence searches, which use latitude and longitude coordinates to draw an imaginary boundary around a c...
Jessie Marie Peterson's family is suing Mercy San Juan hospital in Sacramento for failing to notify them of her death and tran...
Government
The Electoral Count Reform Act and the risk of mass refusals to certify the 2024 election
By John H. Minan
The 2022 Electoral Count Reform Act limits the Vice President's role and raises the thresholds for Congress to object to elect...
Intellectual Property
Meta's legal battle over fake ads reveal AI challenges in IP law
By Kristin B. Kosinski
The field of intellectual property faces challenges with AI, as it presents issues with trademark, privacy, and copyright la...
Civil Rights
RIPA report raises alarms over racial profiling and data accuracy issues
By Lateef Gray
California's Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) of 2015, which requires law enforcement departments to collect and repor...