Health Care & Hospital Law
AB 1264: A legal quagmire masquerading as school nutrition reform
By Kyla Christoffersen Powell
Assembly Bill 1264 aims to reform school nutrition but instead introduces vague, unscientific legal definitions that would rai...
Technology
Is AI listening? Rising trend in consumer class actions targets smart tech
By Matthew D. Pearson
As companies rush to adopt AI, they risk costly litigation under California's wiretapping law -- unless they take proactive st...
This is the wrong time to defund the Legal Services Corporation in Orange and Southeast Los Angeles Counties
By Thomas J. Umberg, Ronald S. Flagg
The proposed elimination of Legal Services Corporation funding would severely undermine Community Legal Aid SoCal's ability to...
Environmental & Energy
Rewriting the river: California's gamble on the Colorado's future
By Roberto Escobar
As California fights to protect its century-old water rights while the Colorado River shrinks to dangerous lows, the nation's ...
Tax, Government
What's in the 'Big Beautiful Bill': Bonus depreciation, small biz breaks, SALT cap hike, private school perks
By Phil Jelsma
The Senate narrowly passed the sweeping "One Big Beautiful Tax Bill," which includes major changes to small business stock rul...
U.S. Supreme Court, Immigration, Administrative/Regulatory
A nation that abandons due process turns its back on justice
By Blaine Bookey
In pursuit of its unprecedented goal to deport one million immigrants, the second Trump administration has used legally and et...
Labor/Employment, Civil Rights
Hair today, gone tomorrow: In-N-Out sued over Black hairstyle ban
By Karis Stephen
In-N-Out's termination of a Black employee over his sideburns, now the subject of a $3 million lawsuit, underscores how compan...
State Bar & Bar Associations, Alternative Dispute Resolution
The curious exclusion of inactive attorneys from mediation
By Marc D. Alexander
In Getzels v. The State Bar of California, the Court of Appeal held that inactive attorneys are barred from serving as...
U.S. Supreme Court, Torts/Personal Injury
Supreme Court clips Supremacy Clause shield in FTCA cases
By Michael E. Rubinstein
The Supreme Court's Martin ruling strips federal law enforcement of a key shield in FTCA suits, barring the use of the...
U.S. Supreme Court, Civil Rights
Supreme Court sidesteps key ruling on transgender rights
By Shannon Minter
The Supreme Court upheld Tennessee's ban on transgender medical care for minors by avoiding the issue of discrimination--bypas...
Government, Administrative/Regulatory
Anonymous lobbying ads legal under gaps in federal and state law
By Ashlee Titus
While campaign ads must disclose who paid for them, lobbying ads -- especially digital ones -- often don't, and usually that's...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Business disputes: Know when and how to mediate
By Brian S. Currey
Business disputes are costly, complex, and often ruin relationships, but when approached with early communication, strategic m...
Labor/Employment, Immigration
Legal issues for employers arising out of ICE raids
By Gary S. Lincenberg, Michael C. Landman
In June 2025, ICE raids intensified across California as the DOJ escalated immigration enforcement efforts. Employers must und...
If Herman Melville didn't need to write "Call me Ishmael ('Ishmael')," then legal writers shouldn't feel compelled to define e...
Tax, Law Practice
Litigation funding deals could get uglier under 'Big Beautiful Tax Bill'
By Robert W. Wood
Litigation funding, already complex and tax-sensitive, faces a seismic shift under the Senate's pending tax bill, which would ...
Labor/Employment, Class Action
The preclusive effect of class-action releases on future wage and hour claims
By Allison Eckstrom
A legitimate class-action claim for unreimbursed uniform expenses may be barred before it begins -- not on the merits, but due...
Administrative/Regulatory
The Byrd Rule strikes again: How one parliamentarian is clipping Trump's wings
By Selwyn D. Whitehead
The Senate parliamentarian plays a pivotal role in the reconciliation process by ensuring that provisions in budget-related le...
Immigration
I-9 at the front door, state law at the back: California's immigration challenge
By Tatiana Dupuy
With immigration enforcement intensifying in 2025, California employers face renewed federal scrutiny and must balance complia...
Technology, Labor/Employment
California employment law update: Ghost job ban, 'No Robo Bosses' AI bill, and Know Your Rights Act
By Rebecca L. Stuart
As California's 2025 legislative session nears its close, lawmakers are advancing three impactful employment bills--targeting ...
Family
Representing clients with mental health problems: At what cost?
By Patricia Garcia
A former family law judge reflects on the profound challenges mental health issues pose in high-conflict cases, urging the leg...
Thousands of homeowners are being denied insurance coverage for toxic smoke damage, despite clear health risks and legal prote...
Constitutional Law, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
9th Circuit shoots down California's gun limit law
By David Kopel
A 9th Circuit panel struck down California's gun-rationing law, and while Attorney General Rob Bonta may seek en banc review, ...
Constitutional Law, Civil Procedure
Anti-SLAPP: When partial wins, missed appeals, and fee fantasies collide
By Gary A. Watt
A new California ruling offers three crucial reminders for anti-SLAPP practitioners: Stick closely to the statute's requiremen...
Law Practice
Rainmaking is a team sport: Fostering business development across your firm
By George Brandon
The lone rainmaker is a myth. Today's legal business development requires collaboration, alignment and firm-wide engagement.
Tax
Senate responds to One Big Beautiful Bill with new rules on opportunity zones
By Phil Jelsma
As Congress advances the "One Big Beautiful Tax Bill," proposed Senate reforms signal a long-term, pro-investment future for O...
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Zuch redefines the boundaries of Tax Court jurisdiction in CDP cases, with potenti...
U.S. Supreme Court, Constitutional Law
Supreme Court revives lawsuits by terror victims against Palestinian Authority, PLO
By Baruch C. Cohen
In a unanimous and forceful decision in Fuld v. Palestine Liberation Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the ...
U.S. Supreme Court, Civil Rights
A.J.T.: Trojan horse or hollow win for disability rights?
By Caroline Jackson
Despite a conservative tilt, the Supreme Court just made it easier for special education plaintiffs to sue for damages under d...
Letters
Outdated codes, uneven justice: Time to hit refresh on local laws
By Eugene M. Hyman
Local laws should be reviewed yearly to reflect new legislation, cultural shifts and fairness in enforcement -- San Francisco'...
Artificial intelligence in law, especially large language models like ChatGPT, works by predicting the next word in a sequence...