Tax, Real Estate/Development
Year-end planning for opportunity zone investors
By Phil Jelsma
With the end of the year nearing, investors must quickly yet carefully consider last minute tax planning strategies.
Securities, Government, Administrative/Regulatory
The SEC’s successful enforcement year
By Nicolas Morgan, Thomas A. Zaccaro
In 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Enforcement Division achieved what Director Stephanie Avakian described as “...
Law Practice, Judges and Judiciary
Time to end disability stigmas in judicial opinions
By Thomas F. Coleman
A well-reasoned appellate opinion came to my attention the other day. Its conclusion upheld the social decision-making rights ...
Education Law, Civil Rights
Developments related to sexual misconduct on college campuses
By Robyn C. Crowther, Brenda Star Adams
Constant changes at the state and federal levels promise further evolution of this area of law in the coming years.
Law Practice, Judges and Judiciary, Criminal
The future of trial-borne justice
By Eric Schweitzer
The time is now for us to demand and to expect real solutions that blend adaptation where it fits with preservation of core ri...
Education Law, Constitutional Law
The First Amendment in employment and education in 2021
By David Urban
Here are four significant areas of First Amendment law in which courts will likely set new precedent in the new year.
Law Practice, Civil Litigation
A first-person account of a jury trial during COVID-19
By Matthew A. Goodin, William O. Stein
We never thought being an attorney was a hazardous job. Maybe back pain from sitting too much and a couple paper cuts were to ...
Technology, Law Practice
Head-scratching about AI-based adjudication being ruefully dispassionate
By Lance Eliot
There is a rising concern that advances in artificial intelligence are tending toward the possibility of using AI-based comput...
Family, Bankruptcy
COVID-19 divorce and marital property agreements
By James P. Menton Jr.
Coronavirus divorces are expected to increase as are bankruptcy filings.
Technology, Administrative/Regulatory
Despite new laws, don’t expect robocalls to stop anytime soon
By Anita Taff-Rice
It is dubious that the CCPA will actually benefit California consumers by requiring the anti-spoofing technology six months ea...
Environmental & Energy
The future of California’s Clean Air Act waiver
By Davina Pujari, Melissa M. Malstrom
California’s authority to set more stringent air pollution standards than the federal government under the Clean Air Act is li...
Judges and Judiciary, Family
Guardianships, the least restrictive alternative?
By Scott J. Nord
The premise of this inquiry lies in the relative ease in obtaining a guardianship, and the more difficult basis to terminate a...
Criminal
With some changes, the nation’s largest prosecutor’s office can start to act like it
By David Fleck
The white collar division of the Los Angeles district attorney’s office has the potential to be a world-class office with the ...
Constitutional Law, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
9th Circuit should unseal video of historic Prop 8 trial
By Shannon Jankowski, Caitlin Vogus
Footage will provide a far richer and more accurate understanding of the legal issues and evidence presented during the trial ...
Democracies are fragile and ours will survive only if our leaders of both parties stand up for it.
Criminal, Constitutional Law
Due Process Protections Act: An opportunity to fulfill Brady's promise
By Alyssa D. Bell, Michael Schafler
Why, you might ask, has Congress taken the extraordinary step of passing a law to “remind” federal prosecutors of constitution...
Securities, Corporate, Civil Litigation
Derivative actions help shareholders in small companies, too
By Brian Danitz
Recent mega settlements demonstrate the vitality of derivative actions involving large, publicly traded companies; however, de...
A combination of the evolving nature of lemon law litigation in California under the Song-Beverly Warranty Act and changes to ...
Real Estate/Development, Civil Litigation
Top 5 real estate cases of 2020
By Ryan C. Squire, Zi C. Lin
Here are five important cases which affect real estate in California in 2021. We apologize if your favorite case was excluded....
With one of the bitterest election cycles in recent memory now (mostly) in the rearview mirror, this might be a good time to r...
Probate, Administrative/Regulatory
Dude, I inherited a pot farm!
By Stacie P. Nelson, Robert Barton
Considerations for marijuana-related businesses for T&E lawyers
Corporate, Administrative/Regulatory
Guidance for developing third-party messaging app policies
By Jack P. DiCanio, Emily A. Reitmeier
In 2019, the Department of Justice announced an important change to its Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Corporate Enforcement Po...
Probate, Family
Zappos CEO’s lack of estate planning could lead to years in probate court
By Scott E. Rahn
Just weeks ago, Tony Hsieh was a vibrant, fun-loving man worth around $700 million, with friends and family relying on him for...
Government, Criminal
Gascón commits to massive changes in criminal sentencing
By Dmitry Gorin, Alan Eisner
Under the new policies, both defendants whose cases are pending in criminal court and those who have already been sentenced ca...
Government, Criminal
Gascón can’t do it alone, LA leaders need to step up
By Louis J. Shapiro
George Gascón was just sworn in on Monday as the new district attorney of Los Angeles, and he has already issued many sweeping...
Government, Administrative/Regulatory
Change in store for the FCC as the Pai era comes to an end
By Scott Delacourt, Shawn Chang
Chairman Pai’s successor — whoever that may be — will wrestle with many of the same problems but is likely to pursue very diff...
U.S. Supreme Court, Constitutional Law
Labor laws and property rights at the Supreme Court
By Bryan W. Wenter
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide a case dealing with the intersection of labor union organizing laws and property rights.
Utilizing a popular and famous doctrine of the law, it is possible to mindfully consider how artificial intelligence might bec...
Real Estate/Development, Covid Columns
It takes 2 to tango: Commercial lease renegotiation in the age of COVID
By Tom Turner
As the revenue-strained months march on, the pressure on budgets of law firms and other users of commercial real estate contin...
Tax, Law Practice
Year-end invoices, payments and tax deferral, oh my! A guide for lawyers
By Robert W. Wood
Year-end is always a stressful time, even in a normal year. Amidst year-end invoicing, collections, bonuses to consider, offic...