GUEST COLUMNS
Friday, May 16, 2025
Goebner confirms that in probate court, the deadline to file a demurrer is any time at or before the hearing, rather than within 30 days of service of the petition, as would be required in civil actions.
With sky-high beef prices and biotech prowess,
California can pioneer a hybrid meat model--blending ranching and cultivated
meat to cut emissions, boost resilience, and lead the global protein shift.
Thursday, May 15, 2025
California's well-intentioned AB 218 opened the door for long-overdue justice for survivors of childhood sexual assault, but its sweeping elimination of time limits on claims has left public schools and local governments vulnerable to massive liabilities, threatening their financial stability and essential services.
A federal judge recently condemned Apple's willful noncompliance with an injunction and referred the matter for criminal contempt: reminding the legal profession that candor isn't optional -- it's the job.
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
California law once allowed negligent parties to escape full accountability when injured victims died before trial--erasing their pain and suffering from the record--but unless lawmakers pass Senate Bill 29 to make recent reforms permanent, that unjust "death discount" will return in 2026.
Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a fast-moving, trust-based cyberattack that exploits human behavior - not technical flaws - to defraud organizations of billions, making it one of the most financially damaging threats in today's digital workplace.
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision may require policymakers to consider targeted reforms to ensure ERISA continues to serve its intended purpose.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments next week in three consolidated cases challenging President Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship, focusing narrowly on whether the lower courts exceeded their constitutional authority under Article III by issuing nationwide injunctions that extended relief beyond the parties before them.
Monday, May 12, 2025
The Ninth Circuit took a common-sense approach in
the case, steering clear of case law and legislative history, and focusing on
what could be proven
California is pioneering sustainable food systems through innovative corporate models and legislation that embed circular economy principles.
Friday, May 9, 2025
The Ninth Circuit's decision in D'Braunstein v. CHP offers a rare win for civil rights plaintiffs, highlighting how qualified immunity--often a near-fatal obstacle--can be overcome when officers fail to recognize and respond to visible medical distress.
Puerto Rico faces worsening blackouts as leaders extend coal and gas use--ignoring clean, proven solutions like rooftop solar that could meet demand and save lives.
Thursday, May 8, 2025
Packard v. Packard confirms that petitions
to reform a trust to reflect a settlor's intent aren't "contests" and
aren't barred by no-contest clauses or the 120-day deadline,
but follow a three-year limit under CCP § 338(d).
To ethically reach out to potential clients during a disaster, lawyers must recognize the difference between advertising and solicitation, ensuring their messages are accurate, not misleading, and in line with the Rules of Professional Conduct.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Litigation, like archery, demands calm under pressure, sharp focus, and the courage to strike with purpose.
The Trump Administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants, including courthouse arrests, jeopardizes the ability of vulnerable silicosis plaintiffs who seek justice without the threat of deportation.
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Harvard University's enduring influence and indifference to political power is nothing new.
Estate planning involves strategic decisions about asset management and transfer, with trusts serving as a key tool; however, the tax implications--ranging from income taxes on trust-generated income to estate and gift tax consequences--can be complex and require careful consideration to align with long-term goals.
Monday, May 5, 2025
Estate planning involves not only managing the distribution of assets but also addressing income tax considerations, such as the implications of final tax returns, how income generated after death is reported by estates, and the tax responsibilities of heirs and beneficiaries.
The Supreme Court's 2024 Loper Bright
ruling, which overturned Chevron deference, is unlikely to significantly
impact copyright law.
Friday, May 2, 2025
There is a nuanced distinction between a statute's "effective" date - the moment it becomes law--and its "operative" date--the point at which its provisions can be enforced, and how the presumption of prospective application governs most statutes.
California's SB 1383 is transforming food waste from environmental liability into economic and climate opportunity, combining bold mandates, tax incentives, and community-driven programs to slash landfill-bound organics and boost food recovery across the state.
Thursday, May 1, 2025
In Knellinger v. Young (2025), the 10th
Circuit examined a case where Colorado's unclaimed property laws led to the
state taking property without proper notice or compensation, with the court
ultimately reaffirming that property owners are entitled to just compensation
under the Fifth Amendment, regardless of administrative processes.
Proposed amendments to Rule 1469 by the South Coast AQMD aim to strengthen regulation of hexavalent chromium emissions to protect public health and address environmental justice concerns, but they also present significant operational, financial, and competitive challenges for industries reliant on Cr(VI).
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Emblem and remedy: How a California housing rights law already uniquely protects immigrant tenants from unscrupulous landlords emboldened by Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric.
It's time to replace outdated, court-based speed
enforcement with automated civil penalties focused on the vehicle, not the
driver, to make our streets safer and hold car owners financially accountable
for dangerous speeding.
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
At its core, the Genesys Cloud Services litigation extends established privacy principles to AI vendors, foreshadowing the compliance landscape companies must navigate as they integrate intelligent
technologies.
Trump's push to fast-track deregulation bypasses Administrative Procedure Act rules, but courts--bolstered by Loper
Bright--may block shortcuts that sidestep public input and legal procedure.
Monday, April 28, 2025
As the federal government retreats from climate regulation, California steps up with sweeping disclosure laws requiring large companies doing business in the state to report emissions and climate-related financial risks.
Though well-intentioned, the act urgently needs reform to distinguish between viable housing sites and rural parcels like El Dorado's pond where rigid application of the law blocks community-driven efforts to preserve public spaces without advancing affordable housing goals.
Friday, April 25, 2025
How big tech defends algorithmic addiction in the
name of the First Amendment.
AI developments are rapidly reshaping the legal landscape, with key issues like copyright infringement, trademark misuse, defamation, right of publicity, and unfair competition highlighted through the
hypothetical AI-created film
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Immigration crackdowns post-2025 have made compliance a top business priority, with rising audits, steep fines, and legal risks forcing employers to act fast and stay sharp.
California Senate Bill 832, which proposed stringent "clear and convincing" evidence requirements for childhood sexual abuse survivors, faced significant backlash, leading to its withdrawal after widespread community mobilization and advocacy.
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Amid rising political scrutiny and legal uncertainty, California nonprofits must navigate shifting rules and rising risks around 501(c)(3) and (4) advocacy to protect their tax-exempt status and public trust.
Insurance payments, including those for wildfire-related damages or bad faith claims, can be tax-free under certain conditions, but complexities in the tax code, such as the treatment of settlements and the IRS's evolving interpretations, make it crucial for taxpayers to carefully navigate insurance recoveries to avoid unintended tax liabilities.
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Letitia James, the New York AG who vowed to "get Trump," is now facing a potential federal criminal probe after the FHFA accused
her of falsifying mortgage documents to get better loan terms--allegations strikingly similar to those she used to win a $464M
civil case against Trump.
The illegal deportation and continued imprisonment of Kilmar Abrego García--despite court orders and government admissions of error -has laid bare a full-blown constitutional crisis, as a defiant executive branch ignores the rule of law, punishes truth-tellers, and openly wages war on judicial authority.
Monday, April 21, 2025
As professional salaries in women's sports remain
underwhelming, female college athletes are uniquely positioned to maximize their earnings through NIL deals -- making strategic planning and legal guidance essential for sustaining long-term financial success.
The El Salvador deportations highlight how the Trump Administration may have manufactured foreign entanglements to bypass domestic due process requirements for accused individuals.
Friday, April 18, 2025
In Capito v. San Jose Healthcare, the
California Supreme Court addressed the scope of "unfair" business
practices under section 17200, ruling that hospitals don't need to disclose
emergency service fees beyond what is required by existing regulations, while suggesting
that "unfairness" in consumer cases may be limited by the Cel-Tech
"safe harbor" rule.
Laws have largely failed to prevent AI generated impersonations and technology companies aren't helping.
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Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero
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NEWS
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General News
Friday, May 16, 2025 |
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| A paralegal's error misstated plaintiff's arbitration stance in a putative class action against The Bay Clubs' women-only gym areas, prompting a court hearing over whether an order had been ignored. | |
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General News
Friday, May 16, 2025 |
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| If you are a beneficiary currently or expect to be one in the future, you should know recent legal changes on inherited IRAs can result in costly implications if not followed properly. | |
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General News
Friday, May 16, 2025 |
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| Comet ML's trademark lawsuit against Perplexity AI's COMET browser fails to secure a temporary restraining order, as judge cites no urgent need before the browser's release. | |
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General News
Thursday, May 15, 2025 |
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| A three-person real estate-focused team launched firm's fourth California location following a merger with Hopkins Carley that established an office in San Jose. | |
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General News
Thursday, May 15, 2025 |
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| California is confronting what many leaders and officials say is an unprecedented confluence of forces -- economic, political, social, environmental -- that's about to test its long record of resilience in the face of catastrophe, natural and otherwise. | |
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General News
Thursday, May 15, 2025 |
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| The bill to raise pay for California's state-employed attorneys -- long paid significantly less than their city and county counterparts -- has cleared one committee but now faces an uncertain fate in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Gov. Gavin Newsom's upcoming budget revision, amid mounting cost concerns and a tougher stance on labor, may threaten its progress. | |
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General News
Wednesday, May 14, 2025 |
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| Google pays $50 million to settle claims by 4,000 Black employees alleging a biased workplace, agreeing to policy reviews and pay equity analysis, while denying wrongdoing. | |
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General News
Wednesday, May 14, 2025 |
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| When the chief administrative officer of Providence Saint John's Health Center invited him into his office to ask Dr. Ashraf Elsayegh how he could support him and his family, Elsayegh replied instead, "Let's open a clinic." | |
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General News
Wednesday, May 14, 2025 |
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| Anthropic asks federal judge to dismiss music labels' lawsuit, claiming fair use in training AI model Claude with copyrighted lyrics, while labels argue unauthorized use persists. | |
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General News
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 |
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| California and New York investors sue Coinbase, alleging the platform hides transaction fees in a "bait and switch" scheme, deceiving users by embedding spread fees in quoted prices. | |
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General News
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 |
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| You have no control over the volatility in financial markets or the economic tumult caused by President Donald Trump's tariff policies. But you can prepare for financial potholes by bolstering your rainy-day fund. | |
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General News
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 |
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| Attorney Tom Feher accuses defense counsel of orchestrating a mistrial through unethical tactics in a $100 million personal injury lawsuit, alleging corporate corruption after a conflict of interest surfaced. | |
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General News
Monday, May 12, 2025 |
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| Jonathan Nolan has put himself at the forefront of Hollywood's push to get California to approve $750 million in tax rebates to help bring more TV and film production back to the state. | |
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General News
Monday, May 12, 2025 |
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| DiCello Levitt LLP seeks co-lead counsel role in Adobe privacy lawsuits, citing unique evidence of widespread internet user tracking. Federal court battle looms as firms vie for leadership. | |
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General News
Monday, May 12, 2025 |
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| The technology giant filed an emergency motion with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to stay an Oakland judge's order barring fees on external app purchases in an ongoing legal dispute with Epic Games. | |
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General News
Friday, May 9, 2025 |
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| Musician Jake Holmes has filed a new lawsuit against Led Zeppelin, guitarist Jimmy Page and several companies related to recent use of the hit song. | |
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General News
Friday, May 9, 2025 |
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| San Francisco Superior Court struggles with a surge in misdemeanor cases, forcing judges to prioritize criminal trials over civil ones, a judge says, as DA Brooke Jenkins ramps up prosecutions. | |
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General News
Friday, May 9, 2025 |
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| World has created a program called World ID -- you can think of it as Clear or TSA PreCheck for the internet -- that will allow users to verify their humanity online. | |
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General News
Thursday, May 8, 2025 |
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| The Federal Reserve is expected to keep its key rate steady, after a series of cuts that lowered rates by a full percentage point last year. | |
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General News
Thursday, May 8, 2025 |
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| Federal judge dismisses securities class action against Akero Therapeutics, finding no evidence of intentional misrepresentation in clinical trial patient data for its MASH cirrhosis drug, Efruxifermin. | |
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General News
Thursday, May 8, 2025 |
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| State Supreme Court justices questioned a shareholder's argument that jury trial rights override a forum selection clause requiring that a lawsuit be decided in the Delaware Chancery Court, emphasizing contract primacy in a case involving a biotechnology company. The outcome should affect other pending cases. | |
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General News
Wednesday, May 7, 2025 |
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| U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers trimmed Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI, its executives and Microsoft but allowed significant claims -- including fraud -- to proceed. It's not clear how OpenAI's announcement will affect the lawsuit, which is scheduled to go to trial next year. | |
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General News
Wednesday, May 7, 2025 |
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| Once upon a time, Hollywood wasn't just a neighborhood. It was the beating heart of film and television production in North America. But over the last two decades, the bright lights of Los Angeles have dimmed. | |
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General News
Wednesday, May 7, 2025 |
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| California's February bar exam pass rate soared to 55.9%, the highest since 1965, despite technical problems. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ordered a return to the Multistate Bar Examination, prompting mixed reactions. | |
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General News
Tuesday, May 6, 2025 |
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| It's especially important to understand your options, experts on student borrowing say, because many aspects of the federal student loan system are in flux. | |
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General News
Tuesday, May 6, 2025 |
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| U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta's ruling Friday delivered a major blow to the state's decades-old labeling regime and a key victory for the California Chamber of Commerce. | |
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General News
Tuesday, May 6, 2025 |
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| Dialpad faces a class action alleging it illegally records and uses customer calls to train AI models, violating California privacy laws, seeking damages and injunctive relief. | |
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General News
Monday, May 5, 2025 |
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| Can Los Angeles, by devoting time and attention to the long-suffering area around historic MacArthur Park, actually make a difference for those who live and work there, those who have despaired as the park has become a magnet for drugs, gangs and crime? | |
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General News
Monday, May 5, 2025 |
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| The justices ruled Thursday that a release the cyclist signed cannot shield municipalities from public safety duties. The decision reverses a 1st District Court of Appeal ruling and returns the case to Alameda County. | |
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General News
Monday, May 5, 2025 |
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| U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple's noncompliance with her injunction to stop overcharging app developers was a "gross miscalculation." She referred the company to federal prosecutors for possible criminal contempt. | |
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General News
Friday, May 2, 2025 |
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| More than ever before, investors are inundated with news alerts and headlines on market-moving events. | |
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General News
Friday, May 2, 2025 |
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| Apple opposes redefining class in App Store antitrust case, citing overinclusion of 10 million uninjured users, trial set for 2026. | |
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General News
Friday, May 2, 2025 |
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| California Supreme Court petition shows AI-written questions were more likely to be thrown out, confirming test-takers' complaints about February exam. | |
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General News
Thursday, May 1, 2025 |
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| Even as it plans for a possible 10,000 applicants for the July Bar Exam, the State Bar faces renewed scrutiny after missing a key deadline Monday night. | |
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General News
Thursday, May 1, 2025 |
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| One of the state Capitol's perpetual conflicts, dubbed "tort wars," pits personal injury attorneys and their allies, such as labor unions, against business groups and their insurers over laws governing which activities can be subjected to damage-seeking lawsuits. | |
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General News
Thursday, May 1, 2025 |
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| Los Angeles County approves $4 billion settlement for 6,800 victims of systemic sexual abuse, straining budget. | |
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General News
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 |
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| Sutter Health settles $228M antitrust lawsuit, denying claims it forced tying arrangements that allegedly inflated costs for 3 million policyholders. | |
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General News
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 |
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| RREEF sues contractors for alleged lead, asbestos disturbance at Embarcadero Centre, with trial set for June. | |
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General News
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 |
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| If children have questions about finances, parents should be ready to talk, experts say. | |
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General News
Tuesday, April 29, 2025 |
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| Wells Fargo's website claims that the Bank Deposit Sweep Program at issue in the case allows the bank's advisers to automatically sweep customers' idle cash in investment accounts into interest-bearing accounts, such as money market funds. | |
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General News
Tuesday, April 29, 2025 |
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| A few years ago, buying a Tesla in Mill Valley meant that you had money but were not overly showy. It meant you were a progressive environmentalist who had style. | |
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General News
Tuesday, April 29, 2025 |
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| The California Air Resources Board has agreed to roll back portions of its landmark trucking emissions regulations in the face of mounting legal challenges and shifting political winds. The settlement with trucking industry plaintiffs signals a major setback for the state's climate goals. | |
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General News
Monday, April 28, 2025 |
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| Judge approves $100 million Wells Fargo settlement, including governance reforms and $33.3 million in stock for plaintiffs' counsel. | |
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General News
Monday, April 28, 2025 |
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| An executive order by President Trump pausing Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement has defense lawyers and companies reassessing their compliance and legal strategies, even as some high-profile prosecutions, including against ex-Smartmatic executives, proceed. | |
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General News
Monday, April 28, 2025 |
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| Investing in choppy markets, especially with an unpredictable president at the helm, can be distressing. It can be even more so if you are relying on these investments to pay for something as important as your child's college tuition, and you need the money in the foreseeable future. | |
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General News
Friday, May 16, 2025 |
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| While most of the state government braces for painful cuts, California's judicial system emerges with a funding boost in Gov. Gavin Newsom's revised budget. The proposal, unveiled amid a projected $12 billion deficit, shields the courts and Attorney General's Office. | |
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General News
Thursday, May 15, 2025 |
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| SoundHound AI faces investor lawsuits alleging misleading financial reports and inflated goodwill from an $80 million acquisition, causing a stock price drop after a delayed SEC filing. | |
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General News
Wednesday, May 14, 2025 |
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| Senior U.S. District Judge Susan Illston's order temporarily halts reductions across 21 agencies, calling the administration's moves likely unlawful. The Justice Department told the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals her ruling "rests on a fundamentally flawed understanding of the separation of powers." | |
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General News
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 |
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| A 9th Circuit en banc panel upholds a federal law barring nonviolent felons from possessing firearms, reversing a prior ruling and deepening a circuit split, with experts predicting a likely Supreme Court appeal. | |
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General News
Monday, May 12, 2025 |
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| The request came as public defenders expressed alarm that Proposition 36, which made certain drug offenses felonies again, is swamping their budgets and workforce. | |
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General News
Friday, May 9, 2025 |
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| Senate Judiciary Committee approves bills to audit and fund the California State Bar, as lawmakers push for bar exam reforms amid February test issues. | |
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General News
Thursday, May 8, 2025 |
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| Oakland jury orders NSO Group to pay Meta $168 million for hacking 1,400 WhatsApp users with Pegasus spyware in 2019, following sanctions for evidence withholding. NSO considers appeal. | |
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General News
Wednesday, May 7, 2025 |
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| A San Francisco judge allowed new defense attorneys to substitute into a $100 million personal injury case after a mistrial, deferring a decision regarding sanctions for prior counsel's walkout amid their clients' conflict of interest. | |
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General News
Tuesday, May 6, 2025 |
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| Trust and estate law surges with the great wealth transfer of baby boomers, but a shortage of young lawyers as veterans retire creates opportunities and challenges. | |
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General News
Monday, May 5, 2025 |
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| According to U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer's scheduling order, the first wave is set to begin Dec. 8. Only two of the selected cases were filed in California. | |
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General News
Friday, May 2, 2025 |
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| Judge delays ruling in $15M Microsoft tax case, likening complex gross receipts dispute to "learning Bulgarian." | |
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General News
Thursday, May 1, 2025 |
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| The U.S. Department of Justice moved to dismiss the TRO, which it said wrongly had the effect of a preliminary injunction, due to an April 4 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. | |
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General News
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 |
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| It illustrates what appears to be a reluctance by the Supreme Court to further clarify a major ruling in June 2022 that set forth a "history and tradition" Second Amendment test for state gun laws. | |
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General News
Tuesday, April 29, 2025 |
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| As major law firms take different paths in response to Trump's executive orders, hundreds partners have launched a new organization, filing an amicus brief to support Susman Godfrey and pushing back against what they call an attack on the rule of law. | |
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General News
Monday, April 28, 2025 |
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| California Supreme Court investigates State Bar's undisclosed AI use in February bar exam questions, sparking transparency and reliability concerns. | |