California

Suspect faces charge in ‘swatting’ death; ex-solicitor general says laws must catch up to behavior

The Los Angeles Police Department was already investigating a series of hoaxes by a man implicated in a so-called swatting incident that led to the December shooting death of a man by police nearly 1,400 miles away in Wichita, Kansas, the Los Angeles Times reports. Detectives investigated Tyler Barriss’ possible…

Jan 4, 2018 1:09 PM CST

Does tax bill violate the Constitution by treating residents of high-tax states differently?

Some governors of high-tax states are considering a constitutional challenge to the $10,000 cap on state and local deductions for income and property taxes in the tax bill passed by Congress last month.

Jan 4, 2018 7:40 AM CST

Most California ABA-accredited law schools see first-time bar pass rates rise in July 2017

Seventeen of California's 21 ABA-accredited law schools saw first-time test-taker pass rates increase for the July 2017 bar exam. Four of those 17 schools recorded first-time pass rates below 55 percent.

Jan 3, 2018 7:00 AM CST

Are iPhone slowdowns a trespass to chattel? 2 lawsuits with differing causes of action filed

Two would-be class action lawsuits have been filed against Apple after it acknowledged slowing down older iPhones to avoid unexpected shutdowns caused by batteries that can’t supply the necessary power for new features.

Dec 22, 2017 8:40 AM CST

State appeals judge resigned as he reportedly faced sexual harassment and bias allegations

The presiding judge of California’s Sixth District Court of Appeal in San Jose resigned last week as he reportedly faced claims of bigotry, sexual harassment and discrimination. The judge is Conrad Rushing, the San Jose Mercury News reported in a story noted by the Recorder (sub. req.). The Mercury News…

Dec 11, 2017 12:57 PM CST

Questions on California bar exam line up with lawyer jobs data, study finds

The content of the California bar exam lines up with national surveys about skills expected for first-year lawyers, but a state-specific assessment would be helpful, according to a recent content validation study from the State Bar of California. The report, sent to the California Supreme Court on Dec. 1, the…

Dec 7, 2017 4:23 PM CST

Chemerinsky plans to invest in Los Angeles alternative weekly newspaper

Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of the University of California at Berkeley School of Law and a columnist for the ABA Journal, has an additional title: media investor.

According to a blog post from LA Weekly, Chemerinsky plans to join a group of investors that bought the alternative newspaper serving Los Angeles, but who hadn’t been revealed before Friday.

Dec 1, 2017 4:30 PM CST

ABA Announcements

Pursuant to §6.3(a) of the ABA’s Constitution, 17 states will elect State Delegates for three-year terms beginning at the adjournment of the 2018 Annual Meeting.

Dec 1, 2017 12:12 AM CST

Public defender in California resigns after suit challenged his qualifications

The public defender in Humboldt County, California, has resigned after a lawsuit challenged his qualifications for office. David Marcus resigned Nov. 22 after nine months on the job, report the Times Standard and the North Coast News Journal. The lawyer who filed the suit, Patrik Griego, will drop the case,…

Nov 29, 2017 4:26 PM CST

Legal secretary is awarded $277K in attorney fees in her overtime suit against her former law firm

A Los Angeles judge on Monday awarded $277,000 in attorney fees to a former legal secretary who prevailed on her claim that the law firm she once worked for failed to pay overtime. Noemi Bernal had been awarded more than $91,000 on the wage claim against J.J. Little & Associates,…

Nov 28, 2017 1:06 PM CST

Union for State Bar of California employees files unfair practice charge

The Service Employees International Union, which represents State Bar of California employees, filed an unfair practice charge against the agency last week, alleging bad faith bargaining regarding compensation. In an email to the ABA Journal, Michael G. Colantuono, president of the State Bar of California, wrote that as part of…

Nov 22, 2017 1:10 PM CST

Judge permanently blocks Trump’s sanctuary cities order, while Sessions announces point-based grants

A federal judge on Monday issued a permanent injunction that blocks President Donald Trump’s order denying funds to sanctuary cities that don’t cooperate in immigration enforcement.

Nov 21, 2017 9:02 AM CST

Law firm billed criminal defendants for prosecution fees; building-code violation brings $31K bill

Building-code violators in two California municipalities are being billed for their own criminal prosecutions after the cities hired a law firm and authorized it to bill defendants for its prosecution services. The towns of Coachella and Indio hired the law firm Silver & Wright, which bills not only for its…

Nov 20, 2017 12:12 PM CST

How can the ABA improve law school compliance after CSL closure?

A restructuring concept would combine the American Bar Association’s Accreditation Committee, the Standards Review Committee and the council into one body.

Nov 1, 2017 12:55 AM CDT

California judge tosses $417M talcum powder verdict

Updated: A judge in California has overturned a $417 million verdict and granted a new trial in a suit claiming talcum powder causes ovarian cancer. Judge Maren Nelson of Los Angeles Superior Court said damages were excessive and causation proof was insufficient, report the Associated Press, the New York Times,…

Oct 23, 2017 5:23 PM CDT