Probate
Psychiatric Advance Healthcare Directives: How to plan for mental health crises
By Megan A. Moghtaderi
Psychiatric Advance Directives (PADs) in California let individuals specify their mental health treatment preferences for futu...
Technology, Civil Procedure
Addressing social media's influence on jurors
By Jeffrey Kravitz
Jurors, being part of the social media universe, are susceptible to biases formed by online voices, which can affect their imp...
Tax
Major changes to California retirement plan protections coming in January 2025
By Jacob Stein
California law currently exempts tax-qualified retirement plans and their distributions from creditor claims, provided distrib...
Technology, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Ethical and policy issues as to lawyers' use of AI - it's not that complicated!
By Michael G. Colantuono
Some judges require disclosure of AI use in cases, and lawyers should check local rules. Applying existing ethical rules to AI...
Law Practice
The Performance Ladder: A modern assessment tool for oral communication
By Paul Marchegiani
The Performance Ladder is a framework for assessing the elements of a successful interaction, including self-knowledge, conten...
Corporate
Central district implements new self-disclosure and whistleblowing incentives
By Brian R. Michael, Christina Randall
The Central District of California has joined other U.S. attorneys' offices across the country in implementing new self-disclo...
Government, Contracts, Construction
Rancho Palos Verdes is quietly, and with eyes wide shut, sliding into a bigger disaster
By Antonio R. Sarabia II
Many houses in Rancho Palos Verdes are now considered substandard due to various defects, and the city has not adequately comm...
Law Practice
Five strategies for women attorneys to showcase their expertise and stand out in a competitive legal field
By Deb Feder
Women attorneys can distinguish themselves by leveraging their unique experiences and expertise to build stronger client relat...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Sharpening the focus on 'alternative' in alternative dispute resolution
By Deb Graceffa
Mediators can (and should) do far more than shuttle offers back and forth.
Insurance
Why California drivers should carry uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage
By Steven Jensen
California has one of the highest rates of uninsured and underinsured drivers in the U.S., with 17% of drivers lacking suffici...
State Bar & Bar Associations
California missed an opportunity to reform the bar exam
By Mitchel L. Winick
The State Supreme Court rejected lowering the bar exam score despite racial disparities--but left the door open for future rev...
The California Supreme Court's recent decisions on bar exam reforms have sparked controversy by rejecting both innovative and ...
State Bar & Bar Associations, Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Criminal
When to report attorney criminal matters to the State Bar
By Christine C. Rosskopf
California attorneys must report criminal indictments or felony convictions to the State Bar within 30 days. Failing to do so ...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Workplace bullying in big law is a persistent issue that's far from new
By Erin Gordon
A new report reveals that nearly a quarter of attorneys last year were victims of workplace bullying, with women, racial minor...
Judges and Judiciary, Family, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Between a rock and a hard place
By Scott M. Gordon, Jessica C. Kronstadt
Cardona v. Soto (2024) No. A167089: Judges face difficulties in balancing due process and protecting children from trau...
Boeing is facing severe issues at its El Segundo satellite unit, with allegations of misconduct, safety violations, and retali...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Mediate now, not six months from now
By Sidney Kanazawa
The pandemic has shown that Zoom can help parties see each other as collaborators, rather than enemies, and can help them reac...
Insurance
New wildfire rules aim to ignite coverage in high-risk areas
By Shanti Eagle
California is rolling out a new insurance regulation aimed at strengthening and stabilizing the marketplace. As the most signi...
Criminal
Operation Trojan Shield may be clever, but is it outrageous?
By Rachel L. Fiset, Jeremy Masys
Operation Trojan Shield, an FBI initiative, created the encrypted messaging app Anom to monitor criminal communications -- sp...
Constitutional Law
Supreme Court fails to acknowledge its part in America's homelessness problem
By Mark Miller
The Supreme Court's historical decisions on property rights have significantly contributed to the homelessness crisis in Amer...
Environmental & Energy
Quiet Communities sue EPA over 40 years of noise neglect
By Monica S. Hammer
The EPA hasn't updated safe noise levels since 1974. Congress stopped funding the Noise Control Act in 1982, which the EPA say...
Criminal, Civil Procedure
When justice goes MIA: An officer's fight for her Marsy's Law rights
By Steve Twist
San Luis Obispo District Attorney Dan Dow has filed a Petition for a Writ of Mandate to the California Court of Appeal, claimi...
Health Care, Pharmaceuticals, Biotech, Government
Newsom's surprise veto of PBM regulation bill is a call for patience
By Hassan Shaikh
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed Senate Bill 966, allowing for more restraint and reflection during a period of hyperac...
Entertainment & Sports
Leveraging NIL to inspire better classes of future NBA players
By Frank N. Darras
NIL deals may give young athletes a false sense of prestige, leading them to leave college early and underperform in professio...
Torts/Personal Injury, Construction
General contractor and project owner held liable after worker attacked on job site
By Garret D. Murai
In Degala v. John Stewart Company, a construction worker sued the general contractor and project owner for negligence a...
Exploring the intersection of modern biometric technologies and Christian beliefs, particularly the fear of these technologies...
Consumer Protection Law
California's Lemon Law has been gutted, leading to a significant erosion of consumer rights
By Joseph A. Kaufman
California's recent legislative changes have significantly weakened the state's lemon law, shifting the burden of dealing with...
Government, Criminal
California's dirty secret: Clean-record deals kept bad cops on the job
By K. Chike Odiwe
California's use of clean-record agreements to conceal the police misconduct of hundreds of officers is an egregious practice ...
The Performance Ladder consists of four steps: Self-Knowledge, Content, Connection, and Flow, aimed at contextualizing the ele...
The stereotype of Irish drunkenness in an article published on Oct. 4 is unacceptable, and highlights the double standard comp...