Data Privacy, Administrative/Regulatory
Acting FTC chair is vocal about protecting consumer data
By Blaise Scemama
Under her leadership, the FTC could take an even more aggressive stance in policing Facebook, Google and Amazon.
Labor/Employment
Fate of gig workers remains unresolved by lawmakers, courts
By Jessica Mach
Since his inauguration Wednesday, Biden has made several moves that appear to deliver on his promise of taking a more labor-fr...
Criminal
Bill seeks more prison time for felons with past hate crime convictions
By Tyler Pialet
The change would allow prosecutors to charge prior hate crime convictions as strikes when prosecuting people accused of violen...
Litigation & Arbitration, Alternative Dispute Resolution
Signature Resolution adds ex-bankruptcy judge to panel
By Kamila Knaudt
Bauer, who sat on the Central District of California bankruptcy court, will specialize in bankruptcy, real estate, business, c...
Judges and Judiciary, Government, Covid Court Ops
New state Senate judiciary chair aims bill at court COVID challenges
By Malcolm Maclachlan
State Sen. Thomas J. Umberg, D-Santa Ana, has also introduced SB 211, a placeholder bill on annual bar fees, and SB 212, desig...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Civil Litigation
Former Girardi Keese lawyers face troublesome ethics questions
By Henrik Nilsson
After allegations that Thomas V. Girardi stole settlement money from the families of the passengers who died in a Boeing jet c...
Environmental & Energy, Civil Litigation
PG&E trimming plan means wider power shut-offs, court told
By Winston Cho
“There will be larger de-energization events than would have otherwise occurred under PG&E’s current standards,” company a...
Government, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Ex-Nixon Peabody lawyer among Trump’s final pardons
By Craig Anderson
The pardons, issued early Wednesday before Trump’s term ended at noon, mean Anthony Levandowski, the former self-driving car e...
Environmental & Energy, Civil Litigation
LA city attorney appeals $2.5M sanction in water bill case
By Blaise Scemama
The city’s current outside counsel, Eric George of Browne George Ross O’Brien Annaguey & Ellis LLP argued in court in Octo...
State Bar & Bar Associations
The rift emerged slowly over decades, said Michael G. Colantuono, the old State Bar's last elected president--the job title we...
California lawyers have struggled for a decade to deal with the fallout from the U.S. Supreme Court's strong backing for arbit...
Law Practice, Civil Litigation
How litigation finance is changing the legal profession
Variations on litigation finance have included settlement-advance companies attempting to cash in on the #MeToo movement by of...
Judges and Judiciary
Judicial Council to consider plan to spend $50M to deal with case delays
By Craig Anderson
The state approved the money in July to help courts cope with additional costs associated with the shutdowns and protecting ag...
Constitutional Law, Civil Litigation
Churches try again to apply US Supreme Court decision in California
By Malcolm Maclachlan
The U.S. high court ruled nearly two months ago that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s limits on in-person services violated the Fi...
Government, Criminal
LA DA defends directives, says laws need to change
By Tyler Pialet
DA George Gascon said in his response to a lawsuit by many of his prosecutors that it’s their job to conform to the directives...
Law Practice, Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Criminal
Schiller's scion's attorney says misunderstanding, not domestic violence led to arrest
By Blaise Scemama
“This was a misunderstanding and both Mr. and Mrs. [Joshua] Schiller have made clear to me that he did not physically harm her...
Civil Litigation
50 Bay Area restaurants sue Newsom over outdoor dining ban
By David Houston
The Wine Country Coalition for Safe Reopening based their four causes of action on state law and the California Constitution. ...
Technology, Data Privacy, Civil Litigation
Jurist asks if Google must define every app it monitors
By Winston Cho
U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen challenged a central argument from plaintiffs that Google misled users about the scope ...
Judges and Judiciary, Government
Biden expected to quickly fill judicial vacancies
By Craig Anderson
After he takes the oath of office Wednesday, President-elect Joe Biden plans to move quickly to fill existing judicial vacanci...
Judges and Judiciary, Criminal, Constitutional Law
US judge again criticizes his colleagues for suspending jury trials
By Gina Kim
Criminal case dismissed with prejudice by federal judge due to violations of the Speedy Trial Act
Civil Litigation
Oil company seeks to reopen litigation against pipeline company in oil spill case
By Gina Kim
Plains All American Pipeline argues that it is immune from service interruption claims under the public utility doctrine, and ...
Labor/Employment, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
US rules preempt state for truckers’ rest breaks
By Craig Anderson
A 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled that requiring long haul truckers to follow state laws already covered by fede...
Government
Bill aims to make new law on bias in criminal cases retroactive
By Malcolm Maclachlan
AB 2542, which went into effect Jan. 1, added evidence of racial discrimination to factors defense counsel could cite. AB 256,...
Insurance, Civil Litigation
UK High Court says business interruption coverage applies to COVID-19
By Blaise Scemama
Meanwhile, U.S. policyholders continue individually fighting their insurers in state and federal court, with only one case in ...
Civil Litigation, Banking
Suit blames Bank of America for mass unemployment fraud
By Winston Cho
The lawsuit filed on Thursday in federal court in San Francisco argues that insecure standards led to rampant fraud that the b...
Judges and Judiciary, Covid Court Ops
LA courts sent emails to judges, employees of widespread virus outbreak
By Blaise Scemama
The emails appear to reveal that nine to 15 coronavirus cases a day were reported in LA courts over four consecutive days in J...
Law Practice, Bankruptcy
What will happen to profits from Girardi Keese pending cases?
By Jessica Mach
Thomas V. Girardi and Girardi Keese are facing a host of lawsuits filed by creditors who allege the attorney and his firm owe ...
U.S. Supreme Court, Constitutional Law, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
9th Circuit panel asks if US high court ruling applies to San Diego church
By Craig Anderson
Is Newsom’s ban on indoor churches narrowly tailored?
Judges and Judiciary
San Diego Judge Truc Do confirmed to appeal court
By Henrik Nilsson
The three-member panel of the Commission on Judicial Appointments unanimously approved Gov. Gavin Newsom's nomination of Do. S...
Judges and Judiciary
State Auditor reports contracting problems in 5 county courts
By Malcolm Maclachlan
The latest judicial branch procurement report looked at Alameda, Contra Costa, Lake, Orange, and San Bernardino counties. The ...