Judges and Judiciary, Government
The attack on our federal judges and 3rd branch of government
By Joseph W. Cotchett Jr.
Trump's allies have escalated attacks on the judiciary, threatening impeachment and safety, undermining judicial independence ...
Antitrust & Trade Reg.
California poised to raise the stakes for antitrust offenses
By Meredith R. Dearborn, Eyitayo "Tee" St. Matthew-Daniel
Proposed amendments to California's antitrust laws could affect both state and federal enforcement, with potential consequence...
The growing ethical and privacy risks of AI chatbots, including their potential to manipulate emotions and behaviors, highligh...
Labor/Employment, Civil Rights
Bostock, Trump 2.0, and the EEOC's attack on transgender rights
By Sarah Cayer
By abandoning its obligations to transgender workers, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission undermines civil rights prot...
Entertainment & Sports
Hollywood faces uncertainty as streaming struggles shape entertainment industry's future
By Gary Goldberger
The entertainment industry in 2025 faces significant challenges, including declining streaming returns, theatrical film strugg...
Family law tips to protect separate property claims in complex assets cases for business managers and financial planners.
Intellectual Property
Supreme Court restricts Lanham Act profits awards
By Scott R. Commerson
In Dewberry Group Inc. v. Dewberry Engineers, Inc., 604 U.S. _, the Supreme Court reversed a $43 million Lanham Act p...
Letters
SF DA's blanket disqualification of Judge Tong undermines judicial independence
By Ellen L. Chaitin
The San Francisco District Attorney's blanket disqualification of Judge Michelle Tong raises concerns about eroding judicial a...
Law Practice, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
KPMG's Arizona law license signals trouble for small firms and legal integrity
By Danny Abir
KPMG's law license approval by the Arizona Supreme Court opens the door to non-lawyer ownership of law firms, putting small an...
Administrative/Regulatory
NIH overhaul is a dangerous gamble for research
By John H. Minan
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency sparked chaos by capping NIH grant overhead at 15%, triggering lawsuits and a ...
Real Estate/Development, LA Fires, Construction
Cutting through red tape with LA's fast-track self-certification plan
By Mehdi Sinaki
Los Angeles may let architects and engineers self-certify building plans to speed up housing approvals, tackling delays worsen...
Immigration, Entertainment & Sports
How NIL, amateurism and immigration are shaping college golf's landscape
By Frank N. Darras
NIL rights are transforming college golf by creating new opportunities for athletes, but legal hurdles around amateurism and v...
U.S. Supreme Court, Civil Procedure
U.S. Supreme Court bars plaintiffs' attorney's fees for preliminary injunction victories
By Lee S. Brenner, Joshua J. Kaufman
A significant U.S. Supreme Court ruling redefines when plaintiffs can recover legal fees, potentially reshaping litigation str...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Mediation, like cooking, requires keen taste and deft hands
By Lori Dobrin
Mediation, much like cooking, requires a blend of instinct, preparation, patience, and creativity--balancing structure with fl...
Criminal, California Supreme Court
Supervening ameliorative legislation applies to the constitutional maximum
By Marshall Grasty
The California Supreme Court ruled that defendants are entitled to retroactive application of ameliorative legislation, like A...
My column, which presented an imaginary memo supporting annexation, was intended as deadpan satire, but may have been misunder...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Data Privacy
Consider confidentiality before you post
By Shari L. Klevens, Alanna G. Clair
As online platforms become essential for business development and communication, lawyers must navigate the ethical responsibil...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Mediating with a financially impaired defendant
By Joseph Lovretovich
In employment mediation involving financially strained employers, the focus often shifts from liability and damages to finding...
Civil Rights, California Courts of Appeal
Racial Justice Act or racial justice pause? Court limits remedies in key ruling
By K. Chike Odiwe
The California Court of Appeal's ruling in R.D. v. Superior Court (People) limits the remedies available under the Rac...
Law Practice
Preparing company witnesses for trial: Psychological insights and practical strategies
By Stacy Hambleton, Julia Romano
With nuclear verdicts on the rise and increasing anti-corporate skepticism, defense attorneys must leverage psychology to prep...
President Donald Trump wants foreign lands and resources, but post-WWII international law stands firmly in his way. Here's why...
Wills, Estates & Trusts
Guidance in distinguishing a trust reformation from a trust contest: Packard v. Packard
By Denise E. Chambliss
In Packard v. Packard (2025), the California appellate court ruled that a petition to reform a trust based on a mista...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Constitutional Law
Upholding the rule of law in the face of presidential lawlessness
By Gay C. Grunfeld
In the wake of controversial executive orders, Gay Grunfeld argues lawyers must become the first line of defense for constitut...
State Bar & Bar Associations, Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Constitutional Law
Lawyers, politics and defending justice
By Mark L. Tuft
The American Bar Association urges lawyers to defend the rule of law, emphasizing the importance of judicial independence, the...
Law Practice, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Dial before you file: The forgotten power of attorney phone calls
By Ohia Amadi
Phone calls with opposing counsel may feel uncomfortable, but they can save time, build rapport, and resolve cases more effici...
Technology, Data Privacy
Pixel privacy pitfalls put websites at risk
By Tyler R. Dowdall
A demand letter threatening litigation over the use of a website tracking pixel as a "pen register" highlights the evolving in...
Civil Procedure
Message in a bottle: reconsidering service by publication
By Ashfaq G. Chowdhury
In California, service by publication allows a party to notify another by publishing legal notices in a newspaper after reason...
Evidence, Criminal, Civil Procedure
Broken rules, broken justice: The DNA evidence problem
By Chesa Boudin
When law enforcement breaks its own rules for DNA evidence collection, the damage extends far beyond any single investigation ...
Land Use, Environmental & Energy
CEQA: California's last line of defense against Trump's environmental rollbacks
By Kevin P. Bundy, Jennifer Ganata
As the Trump administration weakens federal environmental protections, California's Environmental Quality Act remains a critic...
Labor/Employment, Immigration
ICE enforcement actions: How to protect your business when using staffing agencies
By Spencer Hamer
Assuming your staffing agency alone bears the risk of ICE enforcement can be a costly mistake that leads to hefty fines, legal...