GUEST COLUMNS
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
New Jersey's layered PFAS settlement secures long-term funding for cleanup and remediation, offering a potential blueprint for California as it navigates its ongoing "forever chemicals" litigation.
Directing settlement payments to charity can reduce a plaintiff's taxable income in some cases, but IRS rules, legal fees, and limits on charitable deductions often make the tax implications complex and require careful planning before signing an agreement.
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
FINRA Forward is a comprehensive reform initiative aimed at modernizing FINRA rules, strengthening collaboration with member firms, leveraging technology and AI, and enhancing enforcement and cybersecurity efforts to protect investors and ensure market integrity.
California's SB 1107 raises auto liability minimums for the first time since 1967, boosting victim protection but likely increasing premiums and underscoring the need for skilled legal counsel.
Monday, August 25, 2025
Rising launch activity at Vandenberg Space Force Base has sparked legal disputes between SpaceX and the California Coastal Commission over whether state permits apply to federally controlled launch sites, highlighting tensions between state oversight, federal authority, and the need to maintain seamless access to orbit for U.S. national security and commercial interests.
Sharing sensitive info with AI like ChatGPT isn't privileged -- lawyers and clients risk discovery and breaching confidentiality under California law.
Friday, August 22, 2025
Small business owners who fall victim to unauthorized withdrawals have just 24 hours to fight back under the National Automated Clearing House Association's rules -- far less protection than consumers.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly reshaping employees' duties and workflows across industries, creating efficiency gains but also raising novel wage-and-hour risks, particularly the potential loss of exempt classification when AI reduces or replaces tasks that justify exempt status.
Thursday, August 21, 2025
The law brings long-awaited clarity to
stablecoins but leaves banks, fintechs and regulators facing unresolved legal
and oversight challenges at the crossroads of blockchain and traditional
finance.
Once a niche subject, art law has grown over the past half century into a recognized legal discipline shaping disputes over ownership, expression and the global art market.
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
The California State Bar's 2024 Justice Gap Study reveals a worsening crisis in civil legal access, with 70% of households facing problems but receiving help for only 15%, highlighting the urgent need to expand legal aid, pro bono work, and innovative non-attorney support to protect vulnerable Californians from life-altering harm.
As labor shortages persist across the U.S. construction industry, a parallel crisis is unfolding -- one grounded in heightened legal exposure and regulatory scrutiny. Here are some of the key risks contractors now face and the contractual tools they're using to protect themselves.
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
The February 2024 cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a UnitedHealth subsidiary, exposed sensitive medical data of nearly 190 million Americans, disrupted billions in claims processing, left providers financially vulnerable, sparked widespread litigation, and prompted proposed federal cybersecurity legislation -- highlighting critical gaps in healthcare IT security and multi-factor authentication practices.
In Hohenshelt
v. Superior Court, the California Supreme Court preserved Civil Code §1281.98
from federal preemption by interpreting it to allow exceptions for excusable
late payment of arbitration fees, softening earlier strict rulings and setting
the stage for new disputes.
Monday, August 18, 2025
A curious, deliberate approach can turn casual contacts into a powerful revenue-generating network.
Mediation in class and PAGA cases is essentially inevitable, so attorneys should prioritize early and thorough preparation -- including client management, data analysis, team-building and pre-mediation discovery.
Friday, August 15, 2025
In June 2025, a $2.8 billion settlement in House
v. NCAA gave college athletes new rights to direct payments and NIL
earnings under capped revenue-sharing rules, ushering in unprecedented
financial opportunities but also complex tax, compliance, and fraud risks that
demand careful legal and financial guidance.
In recent Ninth Circuit cases, courts have expanded the functionality defense in trademark and trade dress law -- traditionally limited to utilitarian and aesthetic functionality -- to also include "expressive function," holding that when a mark, phrase or image is used not as a source identifier but as part of an expressive work, the First Amendment may bar infringement claims.
Thursday, August 14, 2025
Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and cloud-based tools are transforming law practice from optional aids into essential drivers of efficiency, accuracy and client results, challenging billable-hour traditions, shifting firm power structures and demanding new ethical safeguards.
No longer just labs of innovation, California's cultivated meat firms are now global trade actors -- pushing for a seat at the table in U.S. export policy and international agreements.
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
Bias baked into tenant-screening algorithms is locking out Black, Latino, and immigrant renters, testing whether fair housing laws can withstand political rollbacks in the AI era.
With 2026 deadlines looming, CARB has issued preliminary guidance on California's new climate disclosure laws, prompting businesses to prepare despite delayed regulations and unresolved scope questions.
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
The growing frequency of catastrophic wildfires has exposed a persistent and costly underinsurance problem -- driven by outdated insurer estimates, limited policy caps, and legal hurdles to recovery -- that leaves many homeowners facing massive out-of-pocket rebuilding costs unless they take proactive steps to verify and increase their coverage.
While interest and punitive damages are usually taxable, how the verdict stands, what's appealed, and how the settlement is crafted can reduce or eliminate the tax burden.
Monday, August 11, 2025
The Supreme Court's 6-3 decision in Medina v.
Planned Parenthood South Atlantic stripped Medicaid patients of their
ability to sue to enforce their statutory right to choose qualified providers,
effectively allowing states to label politically disfavored but medically
competent providers as "unqualified," cutting off access to care and leaving
vulnerable populations defenseless against the politicization of healthcare.
President Trump's attempt to revive Gilded Age-style tariffs under the guise of emergency powers lacks clear legal support, threatens constitutional checks and balances, and risks turning trade policy into a tool of executive overreach and political corruption.
Friday, August 8, 2025
On the anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, we are reminded that this landmark law embodied America's promise of equal voting rights -- a promise now tested by modern efforts to erode its protections.
With the weakening of the federal Voting Rights Act, it's now up to the states -- ironically invoking "states' rights" -- to enact their own laws to safeguard minority voting rights.
Thursday, August 7, 2025
Satire gets a pass. Lies don't. When South Park put Trump in bed with Satan, no one sued. But Candace Owens' "investigation" into Brigitte Macron's identity sparked a defamation case in Delaware. Here's why.
California's Commission on Judicial Appointments (which judges dream of hearing from) and Commission on Judicial Performance (which they dread) wield immense power over judges' careers. Lawyers have a vital role in both.
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Trump's new tax bill quietly delivers a major win for startup investors by reshaping federal rules on Qualified Small Business Stock. The catch? State law may still get in the way.
In addition to being faster than waiting for a result at trial -- and the inevitable appeal -- mediation offers a host of advantages over trying environmental disputes in court.
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
A proposed EPA settlement offers long-overdue action on ozone pollution in the Joaquin Valley, but it may once again delay the justice these communities have fought so hard to achieve.
Part 2 of this article series on Proposition 65 settlements highlights the often-overlooked exposure of licensors -- the brand owners whose names appear on licensed products -- and outlines practical strategies, from explicit release language to third-party beneficiary clauses, to ensure they are fully protected from future liability.
Monday, August 4, 2025
The opportunity zone program is now permanent, and with new rural-focused incentives and stricter eligibility rules, recent reforms reshape how investors can tap into these tax-advantaged areas.
While it's flattering that Hollywood finds the law so interesting -- and yes, we get the need for creative license -- we've got four tropes in legal dramas to debunk.
Friday, August 1, 2025
Uber's latest RICO lawsuit -- framed as a fight against fraud but timed to push SB 371--shows that when most corporations lose in court they appeal, but when Uber loses it attacks the entire system to gain political leverage and immunity.
Seasonal jobs may be short-term, but California employers' obligations aren't -- compliance with state and federal law is required no matter how long the employee stays.
Thursday, July 31, 2025
A New Jersey township's effort to seize a 175-year-old family farm for affordable housing has triggered a clash between local obligations under the Mount Laurel doctrine, federal farmland protections, and the Henry family's property rights -- ironically prompting the U.S. government to step in with a Reaganesque "I'm here to help."
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
California courts have embraced a "harmless error" rule to uphold imperfect wills that clearly reflect a testator's intent, but as the recent Estate of Boyajian decision shows, that rule does not extend to revocations--leaving a gap in the law that can thwart clear efforts to cancel a prior will.
Judges must resist external and internal pressures to avoid becoming either a servant or king, which takes courage and humility -- the yin and the yang of judicial independence.
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
This article and self-study test explore evidentiary issues commonly encountered in DUI trials, including the admissibility of a defendant's statements, field sobriety tests, breath test results and blood draws, with Part 2 to address implied consent, refusals, inference instructions, partition ratios, DUI drug offenses and enhancements.
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NEWS
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General News
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 |
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| A $6.6 million verdict against Home Depot highlights the trial success of Beverly Hills attorneys Pejman Ben-Cohen and Robert Ounjian, who credit deep client connection and strategic collaboration for the win. | |
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General News
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 |
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| Since Gov. Gavin Newsom's first State of the State address six years ago, California has stopped pursuing a high-speed rail system that actually connects the Bay Area to Southern California, as was promised to voters in 2008. | |
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General News
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 |
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| Ford expanded its racketeering suit accusing Knight Law Group and others of inflating legal fees in a $100 million billing scheme, citing fabricated time entries and alleged fraudulent overbilling practices. | |
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General News
Tuesday, August 26, 2025 |
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| Radius Telematics sued former executives, accusing them of stealing trade secrets, misusing Slack to plan a competing startup, and diverting assets and customers. | |
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General News
Tuesday, August 26, 2025 |
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| The state Supreme Court has agreed to review a 2nd District Court of Appeal ruling that upheld a 30% cut to plaintiff's attorney fees. The justices' decision could clarify whether trial judges must provide detailed explanations for across-the-board reductions or continue to exercise broad discretion. | |
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General News
Tuesday, August 26, 2025 |
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| In Monopoly, a little luck can turn you into a real estate mogul. In The Game of Life, buying a house is just one step along the sunny sidewalk to the American dream. | |
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General News
Monday, August 25, 2025 |
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| Taylor King Boyles has been dreaming about solar electricity ever since he watched a Reading Rainbow episode about solar powered cars as a child. | |
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General News
Friday, August 22, 2025 |
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| Consumers suing Live Nation and Ticketmaster for allegedly monopolizing concert ticket sales seek nationwide class certification, alleging inflated fees and anticompetitive practices, with a hearing set before Judge Wu on Dec. 4. | |
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General News
Friday, August 22, 2025 |
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| Children exposed to lead from the Eaton Fire filed a class action against Southern California Edison, seeking expedited trial and medical monitoring to ensure urgent testing and medical treatment. | |
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General News
Thursday, August 21, 2025 |
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| Partner Robert Carey blamed the errors on an outside attorney dealing with a family crisis who used AI tools without proper disclosure or review. | |
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General News
Thursday, August 21, 2025 |
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| The spread of AI programming tools, which can quickly generate thousands of lines of computer code - combined with layoffs at companies like Amazon, Intel, Meta and Microsoft - is dimming prospects in a field that tech leaders promoted for years as a golden career ticket. | |
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General News
Thursday, August 21, 2025 |
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| The nun accused the abbots in her own lawsuit of human trafficking, sexual assault, forced labor, and wage theft. | |
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General News
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 |
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| Despite reforms aimed at easing California's civil court backlog, filings under the state's lemon law are climbing to record levels, with critics warning that new procedures under Assembly Bill 1755 create a confusing two-tier system that weakens consumer protections. | |
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General News
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 |
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| A judge ruled Beverly Hills violated housing laws by rejecting a mixed-use development application under the Builder's Remedy, granting Californians for Homeownership's petition to compel approval of the project. | |
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General News
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 |
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| At the moment, the American economy feels a little bit like a hot August afternoon. | |
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General News
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 |
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| Don't touch your investments. That's the simple, yet hard-to-practice, lesson of a new study of investor behavior by Morningstar, the financial services company. | |
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General News
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 |
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| As ADA lawsuits target Long Beach businesses, defense attorney Michele Dobson challenges plaintiff Marvin Barnett's standing, arguing he didn't personally visit the locations and relied instead on a "spotter." | |
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General News
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 |
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| Attorneys for a Hermosa Beach dance school seek to pause civil suits stemming from hidden restroom cameras, citing limited access to key evidence currently held by prosecutors who have charged the school's front desk clerk with felony possession of child pornography. | |
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General News
Monday, August 18, 2025 |
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| Judge Layne H. Melzer ruled that the plaintiff's Unfair Competition Law allegations lacked specifics on how Labor Code violations occurred, leaving the class action one amendment away from dismissal. | |
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General News
Monday, August 18, 2025 |
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| If and when Gavin Newsom launches a campaign for president, economic and social conditions in the California he's governed for two terms will be in the spotlight. | |
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General News
Monday, August 18, 2025 |
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| A federal judge denied a request to enjoin California laws requiring large companies to disclose emissions and climate risks, finding the measures likely constitutional despite First Amendment objections from business groups. | |
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General News
Friday, August 15, 2025 |
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| Across Germany, more than 1 million people had installed solar panels on their balconies as of last month. | |
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General News
Friday, August 15, 2025 |
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| Tony and Mayra Greer say smoke, ash, and hazardous metal contamination from January's Eaton Fire forced them from their Los Angeles home. Their lawsuit accuses Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. of bad faith, breach of contract, and negligent misrepresentation for allegedly delaying and underpaying their claim despite evidence the damage made the property unsafe. | |
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General News
Friday, August 15, 2025 |
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| Artists suing Ye over alleged unlicensed use of their music in "Donda" claim he defied discovery orders, delayed sanctions payments, and destroyed evidence; defense argues compliance, miscommunication, and good-faith efforts. | |
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General News
Thursday, August 14, 2025 |
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| Four truck manufacturers sued to exit California emissions agreements, citing Trump-era revocation of federal waivers and a Supreme Court ruling expanding standing to challenge environmental regulations. | |
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General News
Thursday, August 14, 2025 |
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| An attorney representing California told a San Francisco federal judge Tuesday that President Donald Trump's use of federalized National Guard troops and U.S. Marines during Los Angeles protests violated a post-Reconstruction law barring the military from domestic law enforcement. Lawyers for the federal government say the deployment was lawful and purely protective. | |
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General News
Thursday, August 14, 2025 |
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| The recent executive order directing states to states to criminalize unhoused people and institutionalize those with mental health disabilities creates a dilemma for Sacramento politicians. | |
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General News
Wednesday, August 13, 2025 |
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| When it comes to philanthropy, Larry Ellison has long stood in the shadow of his corporate rivals. And so the octogenarian's new idea for solving the world's most intractable problems looks a lot like what he's had greater success with: starting businesses. | |
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General News
Wednesday, August 13, 2025 |
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| Huntington Beach argues California's sanctuary law violates federal supremacy, compels unlawful conduct, and exposes local officials to liability, countering the state's motion to dismiss their federal lawsuit challenging SB 54. | |
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General News
Wednesday, August 13, 2025 |
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| Attorneys say deaths from January's Eaton and Palisades wildfires continue mounting, with clients dying later from stress and smoke-related health issues--potentially raising liability in ongoing wrongful death lawsuits. | |
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General News
Tuesday, August 12, 2025 |
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| A Sacramento judge is reconsidering her tentative ruling dismissing California tribes' lawsuit against cardrooms, which challenges banked games under SB 549, amid arguments over IGRA preemption and tribal standing in state court. | |
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General News
Tuesday, August 12, 2025 |
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| Two Los Angeles landlords are appealing a federal judge's dismissal of most claims challenging rent control amendments as constitutional violations. The court ruled the changes were minor and claims largely unripe or time barred. | |
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General News
Tuesday, August 12, 2025 |
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| The promise of an abundant and clean-burning alternative to oil and natural gas has captivated generations of politicians, executives and environmentalists. | |
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General News
Monday, August 11, 2025 |
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| Oakland judge sends Moss Landing battery fire case back to state court after rejecting claims that PG&E and Granite were improperly named to defeat federal jurisdiction. | |
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General News
Monday, August 11, 2025 |
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| Deepfakes can literally put words in political figures' mouths or even create seemingly real persons | |
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General News
Monday, August 11, 2025 |
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| Justin Baldoni's company sued three insurers in Los Angeles, alleging breach of contract for refusing to cover legal costs tied to Blake Lively's defamation lawsuit over alleged harassment on set. | |
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General News
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 |
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| The 4th District Court of Appeal unanimously rejected claims the award was excessive or swayed by improper argument. | |
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General News
Tuesday, August 26, 2025 |
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| A coalition of civil rights firms has expanded a class action alleging Riverside County's cash bail system unconstitutionally jails indigent arrestees, sometimes even after prosecutors drop charges. Sheriff Chad Bianco, a defendant in the case and a Republican candidate for governor, has denounced the lawsuit as an activist-driven abuse of the courts. | |
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General News
Friday, August 22, 2025 |
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| The Orange County Board of Supervisors stripped the District Attorney's office of control over its Human Resources department after a San Diego jury found DA Todd Spitzer and former Chief of Staff Shawn Nelson liable for gender-based harassment and retaliation against a former prosecutor. | |
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General News
Thursday, August 21, 2025 |
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| A judge denied a defense request to partially close the courtroom in a high-profile sexual abuse case involving the Gucci family, with trial proceedings potentially delayed due to a pending appeal. | |
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General News
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 |
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| A New York attorney sued a California businessman in Los Angeles federal court, alleging a coordinated smear campaign involving fake websites, criminal accusations, and impersonation to damage his reputation and law practice. | |
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General News
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 |
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| L.A. County Superior Court Judge Tony Richardson barred press from jury qualification in a UCLA Health discrimination case, citing confidentiality, despite California law generally allowing public access. | |
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General News
Monday, August 18, 2025 |
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| A federal judge granted Allied Gaming a partial injunction, finding it likely shareholder defendants illegally coordinated a takeover without proper SEC disclosure, potentially setting precedent under Section 13(d) securities law. | |
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General News
Friday, August 15, 2025 |
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| A federal judge allowed OpenAI's counterclaims against Elon Musk over alleged harassment and a sham bid, while dismissing parts of Musk's lawsuit challenging the company's nonprofit-to-profit transition. | |
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General News
Thursday, August 14, 2025 |
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| Judge William Alsup denied Anthropic's bid to pause a major copyright trial over pirated books used to train AI, rejecting claims he was rushing proceedings before taking inactive status. | |
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General News
Wednesday, August 13, 2025 |
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| California Deputy Attorney General Jane E. Reilley argued the move amounted to unlawful military involvement in civilian law enforcement, citing Guard participation in ICE raids and public blockades. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, acting on Trump's orders, defended the operations as necessary to protect federal agents. | |
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General News
Tuesday, August 12, 2025 |
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| As the Trump administration seeks more than $1 billion from UCLA and pushes to end race-based scholarships, a federal judge will hear arguments Tuesday on whether the National Science Foundation defied her injunction by suspending UCLA research grants -- a move attorneys for UC researchers say is political leverage in high-stakes negotiations. | |
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General News
Monday, August 11, 2025 |
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| A California appellate court ruled the University of California's policy barring students who entered the U.S. without legal permission from paid positions is discriminatory and unlawful, rejecting claims that fear of violating federal law justified the restriction. | |