Sen. Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, Assemblymember Rob Bonta, D-Oakland and Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, introd...
Health Care & Hospital Law, Government
State DOJ's Medi-Cal fraud and elder abuse bureau gets more funds, becomes a division
By Blaise Scemama
As the hardest hit population during the pandemic, accounting for 34% of COVID-related deaths, the elderly have become increas...
Labor/Employment, Government, Administrative/Regulatory
State labor secretary faulted in audit of unemployment fraud
By Malcolm Maclachlan
Secretary for the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency Julie A. Su, under consideration as President Joe Biden’s ...
Criminal
Civil commitment hearings for sex predators should be public, lawmaker says
By Tyler Pialet
The proposed measure, SB 248, introduced last week by state Sen. Patricia Bates, R-Laguna Niguel, would also require that the ...
Community News
San Francisco Trial Lawyers group installs a new president
By Kamila Knaudt
“I’d like to raise our profile in the general community,” said Callaway. “A lot of people have heard of us, but they don’t rea...
Civil Litigation
Sacramento Library settles dispute with fundraising foundation
By Malcolm Maclachlan
The complaint stated the foundation had unilaterally terminated its memorandum of understanding with the library in 2015 yet c...
Judges and Judiciary, Covid Court Ops
Judges, attorneys press for higher vaccination priority
By Blaise Scemama
The state and county announced that court worker vaccinations would be further delayed due to a change in the vaccination prio...
Criminal
Simpson Thacher, Innocence Project secure rare factual innocence finding
By Henrik Nilsson
In the Northern California Innocence Project’s 20-year history, it is only the second time that the organization has managed t...
Technology, Civil Litigation
Class of 5,000 Uber drivers OK'd in classification fight
By Winston Cho
The class consists of California drivers who worked for Uber between Feb. 28, 2019 until the passage of Proposition 22 in Dec....
Law Practice, Law Office Management
LA firm Baker Marquart rebrand as Waymaker LLP
By Kamila Knaudt
The firm announced its name change, launched a new logo and website Monday, stating the changes are not related to any owners...
Law Practice, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Hearing set on how much Girardi Keese can get from gas leak cases
By Jessica Mach
As the trustee of Girardi Keese continues to sort through the law firm's finances, a bankruptcy judge has set a Feb. 2 hearing...
Environmental & Energy, Civil Litigation
SoCal Edison reaches $2.2B settlement with insurers
By Gina Kim
Socal Edison has officially settled all claims with subrogation (insurance) plaintiffs for $2.2B on Monday. The settlement res...
Judges and Judiciary, Covid Court Ops
Courts cautious about reopening despite governor’s new order
By Malcolm Maclachlan
Several courts contacted by the Daily Journal said they would let their current guidelines run until they expire.
Constitutional Law, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
9th Circuit OKs ban on indoor religious services in some counties
By Winston Cho
Rejecting claims that other essential activities are allowed to operate more freely, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals fou...
Criminal
OC DA charges 6 in unemployment fraud, says office needs help to catch more
By Tyler Pialet
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, said the cases are just the tip of the iceberg, adding that without state interv...
Law Practice, Environmental & Energy, Civil Litigation
Firm that worked with Girardi Keese will handle gas leak cases
By Jessica Mach
Under the agreement, if they are victorious, Girardi Keese’s estate would receive 45% of the fees. Its co-counsel, Frantz Law ...
State Bar & Bar Associations, Criminal
Trustees hesitate to ban DAs from soliciting police unions
By Henrik Nilsson
In a meeting Friday, the board of trustees declined to issue a rule of professional conduct based on the proposal, which was i...
Civil Litigation, Admiralty/Maritime
Parties agree dive boat fire claims to proceed in state court
By Gina Kim
Cases filed on behalf of 34 victims killed in 2019 boat fire head off to Los Angeles County Superior Court’s complex litigatio...
State Bar & Bar Associations
Bar names members to discipline system review commission
By Henrik Nilsson
The Board Executive Committee suggested 19 new members to the Ad Hoc Commission on the Discipline System. The Board of Trustee...
Labor/Employment, Government, Civil Litigation
State agencies trade blame for $10B unemployment fraud
By Malcolm Maclachlan
Old laws are playing a key role in the dispute — specifically a disagreement over whether the Employment Development Departmen...
Law Practice, Law Office Management
Paul Weiss opens San Francisco office with 4 litigators
By Kamila Knaudt
Melinda Haag, Walter F. Brown Jr. and Randy Luskey from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and longtime Kirkland & Elli...
Judges and Judiciary, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Group seeks input on updating judicial bias rule
By Jessica Mach
The move is one of the first by the Judicial Council Work Group to Enhance Administrative Standards Addressing Bias in Court P...
Government, Criminal
Bill seeks stricter scrutiny of expert testimony in criminal cases
By Tyler Pialet
Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said SB 243 aims to prevent wrongful convictions by requiring judges to assess the credibi...
Litigation & Arbitration, Labor/Employment, Civil Litigation
Postmates lawsuit sent to arbitration
By Jessica Mach
In an order last week, U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez also rejected Postmates' argument that SB 707, which went into ...
Government, Criminal
Former prosecutor speaks for victims in LA County hearing
By Blaise Scemama
Under new directives put into place last month by Gascón, prosecutors must file motions to dismiss enhancements that would add...
Judges and Judiciary
Federal judge William Alsup takes senior status
By Craig Anderson
Asked Friday why he decided to take senior status now, the 75-year-old Alsup wrote in an email: "It was a personal choice dict...
Judges and Judiciary
Dana Sabraw takes the helm as chief judge of the Southern District of California
By Gina Kim
Chief Judge Dana M. Sabraw of the Southern District of California talks COVID-19 operations, future goals for alleviating case...
Criminal
Vallejo police killed man in self-defense, investigation finds
By Tyler Pialet
The findings outlined in a 16-page report released late last week came five months after Solano County DA Krishna Abrams hired...
Education Law, Civil Litigation
High court rejects petition filed by LA-area special needs students
By Gina Kim
California Supreme Court denies petition filed by special needs students .
Immigration, Government, Civil Litigation
Biden’s executive orders are already impacting DOJ litigation
By Winston Cho
Biden's orders seek to dismantle a number of policies from former President Donald Trump. They are forcing the Department of J...