Rebuilding LA:
The Daily Journal's fire coverage portal

Judicial Profile
Judge Sherri Honer's quiet discipline shapes her Westminster courtroom
MCLE
AI wins in court as book training deemed fair use
In a matter of days, two federal courts allowed the use o...
By Edward D. Lanquist, Dominic RotaDupe culture on trial: Lululemon, Costco, and the future of trademark law
In an era where TikTok hauls and hashtag trends blur the ...
By Pejman JavaheriWhat AI learns from us, and why that could be a legal problem
AI is reshaping legal practice--but when left unchecked, ...
By James MixonToday's News
Civil Litigation
Apple faces lawsuit over iPhone 16 AI 'misrepresentations'
By Antoine Abou-Diwan
A Los Angeles class action accuses Apple of misrepresenting iPhone 16 AI features, alleging fraud and violation of consumer laws. Similar lawsuits and shareh...
Immigration
ICE detainees in 'dungeon-like' cells without counsel, US judge told
By Devon Belcher
ICE detainees in overcrowded, "dungeon-like" cells were allegedly denied counsel by agents "ping-ponging" them between facilities, prompting a restraining or...
NSO Group seeks sanctions against Meta, WhatsApp for undisclosed witnesses in Pegasus spyware case. Both sides accuse each other of gamesmanship after $168M ...
Civil Litigation
Lawsuit filed over garbage truck that ran over bicyclist
By Laurinda Keys
Parents of a bicyclist killed by a Greenwaste Recovery truck sue for damages, citing an illegal turn and inadequate driver training. The lawsuit seeks compen...
Government, Constitutional Law, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
9th Circuit: Private racist texts don't pass 'public concern' test
By John Roemer
The case raised questions about whether a public employee in the former chief's situation could justifiably mount a constitutional challenge to an adverse jo...
Immigration, Constitutional Law, Class Action
Ruling tests Supreme Court limits on nationwide injunctions after CASA decision
By Craig Anderson
Less than two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court restricted nationwide injunctions, a New Hampshire judge certified a nationwide class and blocked President ...
Columns
Labor/Employment
How politics are quietly rewriting your employee handbook
By Karen J. Sloat
California employers are scrambling to balance state requirements with new federal directives that impact everything from im...
Guide to Legal Writing, Appellate Practice
Better briefs, better advocacy
By Melissa Shalit
Practical, behind-the-scenes strategies for writing clear, credible, and persuasive appellate briefs that resonate with judges...
Technology, Intellectual Property
AI can learn, but not loot: Pirated data off-limits for LLM training
By Meaghan H. Kent, Marcella Ballard
Court holds that Anthropic's training of AI using legally obtained books is fair use, but storage of pirated books is not.
Verdicts & Settlements
Clean Air Act | California Air Resources Bo... | $82,000,000 |
Auto v. Tractor-Trailer | Juanita Cerrato, by and thr... | $18,574,222 |
Dangerous Condition of Public Property | Jan Svallingson, individual... | $6,735,102 |
Malpractice | Pediatric Hospitalist v. Ro... | $4,875,000 |
Premises Liability | Denise Wood v. St. Mary Med... | $3,370,250 |
Negligence | Krystal Slocum v. Anaheim U... | $1,987,500 |
Breach of Contract | Ken Houang, et al. v. Roche... | $1,861,380 |
Wage and Hour | Michael Pearson, individual... | $1,350,000 |
Deprivation of Rights | Christina Astorga v. City o... | $1,250,000 |
Clean Air Act | Bay Area Air Quality Manage... | $575,000 |
On the Move
Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith, LLP
Monique Matosian-Bharucha was promoted to partner of Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith, LLP in San Diego. The promotion is effective Jul. 1, 2025.
Details
Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith, LLP has 39 attorneys in 1. Among the law firm’s key practice areas are Employment Law; Business and Corporate Law; Real Estate; Trust and Estate Planning; Construction Law. The firm’s website is https://swsslaw.com/
Featured Content
There is a time and place for everything--including a time to mediate an insurance coverage or bad faith claim.
Eight key factors that make early mediation a valuable tool in civil cases
JAMS neutral reflects on her career, what inspires her and what brought her back to JAMS after 20 years on the bench
Community News
Slideshow, Community News
Brian Panish honored at Consumer Watchdog's $2M Rage for Justice gala
By Ricardo Pineda
Daily Appellate Report
Municipal Law
Dessins v. City of Sacramento
City was permitted to vote as a property owner in a one-vote-per-property election to impose a storm-drainage fee.
Criminal Law and Procedure
U.S. v. Westfall
Warrant based on information from confidential informant that was independently corroborated by police was supported by probable cause.
Civil Procedure
Columbia Legal Services v. Stemilt AG Services LLC
District court abused its discretion by entering a broad and undifferentiated protective order without a finding of good cause for its restrictions.
Employment Law
Lampkin v. County of Los Angeles
Whistleblower's action was not "successful" for purposes of attorneys' fees because the jury--notwithstanding its finding of retaliation--awarded no relief after the employer established ...
Employment Law
CRST Expedited, Inc. v. Superior Court (Sanchez)
"Headless" PAGA actions for pre-2024 cases, those brought by an aggrieved employee seeking to recover civil penalties for Labor Code violations suffered only by other employees, are permi...