California

Disbarred lawyer sentenced in murder of art dealer, plot to steal his possessions

A disbarred lawyer has been sentenced to life in prison without possible parole after his conviction in a retrial for his role in a 2008 murder of a Palm Springs, California, art dealer and a plot to steal the slain man’s money and possessions.

Jul 23, 2025 3:23 PM CDT

California’s courts must adopt AI policies, judicial council says

The California Judicial Council on Friday adopted generative artificial intelligence guidelines for the state’s judges and court employees.

Jul 21, 2025 10:01 AM CDT

Lone dissenter Jackson slams SCOTUS for ‘casually’ overriding judge who blocked US job-cuts plan

President Donald Trump’s executive order requiring federal agencies to submit plans for “large-scale” workforce reductions can take effect, for now, as a result of a decision Tuesday by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jul 9, 2025 10:37 AM CDT

Fired California bar executive director should get 30-day suspension, panel says, citing ‘duty to be truthful’

The former executive director of the State Bar of California should receive a short suspension for misrepresentations that he made to the state bar's board of trustees about funding for a trip to Mongolia, according to a review panel of the State Bar Court of California.

Jul 8, 2025 9:22 AM CDT

Lawyers copied parts of brief, decided to ‘double down on imprudence’ by repeating losing arguments, judge alleges

Lawyers representing a food company are facing possible sanctions for filing a motion to dismiss said to largely copy whole sections of a brief filed by another law firm with arguments that did not succeed.

Jun 24, 2025 12:31 PM CDT

California’s 1-gun-per-month law has no ‘historical twin’ or even cousin, 9th Circuit says in striking it down

A California law preventing the purchase of more than one gun in a 30-day period violates the Second Amendment, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

Jun 23, 2025 11:33 AM CDT

Trump can keep National Guard in Los Angeles for now, 9th Circuit rules

President Donald Trump can keep the California National Guard in Los Angeles for now, a federal appeals court has ruled, delivering a win for the president as he aims to use the military to police protests against his deportation efforts.

Jun 20, 2025 1:40 PM CDT

US can’t target fossil fuel producers through regulations, then argue they don’t have standing, SCOTUS says

Fossil fuel companies have standing to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for approving California’s requirement for the production of more electric vehicles, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday in a 7-2 decision.

Jun 20, 2025 11:39 AM CDT

Disbarment recommended for ex-Trump lawyer Eastman by State Bar Court of California panel

Ex-Trump lawyer John Eastman has moved another step closer to disbarment, as a unanimous three-judge panel of the State Bar Court of California’s review department affirmed earlier findings that he was culpable of 10 counts of misconduct relating to his representation of President Donald Trump during and after the 2020 election.

Jun 17, 2025 12:08 PM CDT

Retired California justice faces disciplinary charges for allegedly taking too long to decide cases

A retired state appellate justice in California has been accused of delaying hundreds of case decisions for years.

Jun 17, 2025 10:53 AM CDT

California Supreme Court OKs provisional licensure—but not for all February candidates

First-time California bar candidates who failed or withdrew from the disastrous February launch of the state bar’s new exam can apply to practice law with the supervision of a licensed attorneys, a move some deem “too little, too late.” That chance came Wednesday after the California Supreme Court approved the State Bar of California’s request to extend the state’s provisional licensure program that was launched in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jun 13, 2025 11:00 AM CDT

ABA Commission on Immigration launches new program to respond to ICE’s courthouse arrests

The Immigration Court Observation and Awareness Project aims to identify trends and systemic issues by asking volunteers to observe short preliminary hearings and record their observations. The commission plans to use this data to better support noncitizens’ access to counsel and due process rights.

Jun 11, 2025 11:33 AM CDT

Disbarred lawyer Girardi’s son-in-law pleads guilty to contempt for former firm’s failure to pay Lion Air clients

Disbarred lawyer Tom Girardi’s son-in-law pleaded guilty last week to contempt of court for failing to obey a court order calling for the distribution of $7.5 million in settlement funds to four clients in connection with the October 2018 crash of Indonesia’s Lion Air Flight 610. David R. Lira, 65,…

Jun 10, 2025 9:51 AM CDT

Did Trump violate law by deploying National Guard troops? Commentators see issues as California sues

The state of California is filing a lawsuit that seeks to set aside President Donald Trump’s order sending at least 2,000 state National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to protests there over immigration raids, the state announced Monday.

Jun 10, 2025 9:15 AM CDT

Coco Su helps expand access to justice throughout California

Coco Su has worked with the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s lawyer referral service, SmartLaw, for more than a decade and is now its director. She has been the driving force behind many of its efforts to increase access to justice for underserved communities and low-to-moderate income consumers.

Jun 9, 2025 9:12 AM CDT