California

Ruling Could Slow Social Security Claims

The Social Security Administration is warning that a judge’s immigration ruling could cause a backlog of work for agency employees at the same time of a significant increase in their workload. Last Friday U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney of San Francisco temporarily barred the agency from sending letters to employers…

Sep 7, 2007 6:14 PM CDT

Paul Boland: Judge, Mentor, Law Prof

Paul Boland, a California appellate judge also known as a mentor to many and a pioneer of law school clinical education, has died. He was 65. An associate justice of the state Court of Appeal since 2001, Boland encouraged the judicial system to put its best foot forward and was…

Sep 7, 2007 4:45 PM CDT

Malpractice Deadline Before CA High Court

During oral arguments yesterday, justices on the California Supreme Court appeared reluctant to extend the deadline for filing malpractice suits against law firms. The case has attracted amicus briefs arguing against extension from nine major law firms and two county bar associations, the Recorder reports. The plaintiff in the suit,…

Sep 6, 2007 11:20 AM CDT

240 LA Court Interpreters Walk Out

Today was not a good day to be in Los Angeles County Superior Court with a case requiring an interpreter. Angry about skimpy pay increases since they became employees instead of independent contractors in 2005, some 240 court interpreters there went on strike today and did not show up for…

Sep 5, 2007 9:26 PM CDT

Arrest Warrant Issued for Donor Hsu

A California judge issued a warrant for the arrest of Democratic campaign donor Norman Hsu after he failed to show up for a court appearance today. Hsu’s lawyer, James Brosnahan, said he could not locate his client or his passport, the New York Times reports. “We do not know where…

Sep 5, 2007 6:19 PM CDT

Ballard in CA, Competitor’s MP at Helm

Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll is opening an office in Los Angeles with the expectation that it will help the 500-lawyer Philadelphia-based law firm strengthen its flagship real estate and resort practice in the Southwest. In charge of the new office will be David C. Sampson, former managing partner of…

Sep 4, 2007 4:53 PM CDT

Alston & Bird Plans: TX, Maybe CA, London

A major Atlanta-based law firm has announced plans to open an office in Dallas and is thinking about expanding into California and London as well. Alston & Bird will start small in Dallas, with an eight-lawyer office, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Dallas office will be staffed by five attorneys…

Sep 1, 2007 12:27 AM CDT

Renowned Hands-On Legal Scholar Dies

Benjamin Aaron, a UCLA professor known both for his legal scholarship and his ability to settle a labor dispute, has died. He was 91. Appointed by five U.S. presidents to various national boards and commissions, Aaron played a pivotal role in resolving aircraft company labor disputes after World War II,…

Aug 31, 2007 7:17 PM CDT

Scientists Challenge Background Checks

Twenty-eight contract scientists, engineers and other workers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California have filed a suit claiming that newly instituted security checks invade their privacy. The suit claims the government is seeking detailed information covering areas such as sexual history and is asking for waivers so past employers…

Aug 31, 2007 4:21 PM CDT

State Secrets Often Cited to Crush Suits

The Bush administration is apparently relying on the state secrets privilege in a motion seeking dismissal of a lawsuit claiming a Belgian banking cooperative gave customers’ records to the United States without a warrant. The Justice Department says in a July 25 motion that the suit should be dismissed to…

Aug 31, 2007 3:54 PM CDT

$307 K Fee Is Price of Foot-Dragging

California has been burned by a “scorched-earth” approach to litigation over pay policies for inmates who work for private employers on prison grounds. A California appeals court affirmed an award of $307,000 in attorney fees, in addition to nearly $1.5 million already awarded, for litigation over the state’s failure to…

Aug 31, 2007 12:10 PM CDT

CA’s AG: ‘Police’ Badge Banned ... Uh-Oh

Oops. Providing police badges to people who aren’t police officers is illegal. But apparently nobody at the California Attorney General’s office realized that until folks in Riverside County asked for an opinion on the issue. The AG’s office dutifully provided one–and then began collecting from its own attorneys some 1,200…

Aug 30, 2007 9:39 PM CDT

Fed’l Judge: Execute Inmates Efficiently

California’s death row is not only the biggest in the nation but perhaps the most backlogged. The average prisoner waits nearly 20 years to be executed, and, since capital punishment was reinstated in 1978, only 13 have been executed while 50 have died in prison, many of old age. Currently,…

Aug 30, 2007 6:14 PM CDT

Who Will Close in Spector Murder Trial?

At the conclusion of five months of testimony in Phil Spector’s murder trial and with closing arguments scheduled to begin on Sept. 5, observers are asking an unusual question. Who is going to give his closing argument? Ordinarily, of course, that would be the lead defense lawyer at trial. But…

Aug 29, 2007 9:52 PM CDT

Ex-Milberg Lawyer Lerach Retires

Securities class action lawyer William Lerach is retiring amid rumors he is close to a plea deal related to kickbacks made to lead plaintiffs while he was a lawyer at Milberg Weiss. Lerach is a name partner at California-based Lerach, Coughlin, Stoia, Geller, Rudman & Robbins, the firm he created…

Aug 29, 2007 10:47 AM CDT