California

‘Gate money’ for released prisoners is usually chump change

Some formerly incarcerated people say it’s often not enough to meet their basic needs

Sep 11, 2019 2:49 PM CDT

Lawyer who pleaded guilty to possession of child porn gets 1-year sentence

A San Francisco lawyer accused of keeping more than 600 images of child pornography on his electronic devices, including images of young girls who appear to be as young as 3 years old, has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison after a guilty plea.

Sep 5, 2019 2:58 PM CDT

Signing use-of-force bill, governor vows more changes to ‘biased, random’ justice system

In his first few months as California’s governor, Gavin Newsom made some critics question his commitment to fixing the state’s troubled prison system. Though he had run as a reformer, Newsom stopped the release of dozens of prisoners eligible for parole after he took office in January and attempted to…

Aug 21, 2019 3:23 PM CDT

Legal secretary’s suit claims partners’ tirades constituted sex bias, caused panic attack

A legal secretary says two Venable partners yelled, humiliated and demeaned her to such an extent that their conduct constituted sex discrimination under California’s fair employment law. Marjan Rabbi, a legal secretary with a JD from Whittier Law School, filed the suit in superior court in Los Angeles on Aug.…

Aug 8, 2019 11:01 AM CDT

2019 ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco: What can you expect?

There are nearly 650 events planned for the 2019 ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco and some important resolutions being brought before the ABA House of Delegates. Attendees will have opportunities to hear from civil rights stalwarts like Rep. John Lewis and Dale Minami; to socialize at events including a benefit concert for the Legal Services Corp.; and to learn from both colleagues and leaders in the field while earning CLE credit.

Aug 7, 2019 9:56 AM CDT

Jones Day sued for alleged malpractice by pro bono clients who say eviction deal left them homeless

Two former mobile home owners have filed a malpractice suit against Jones Day that claims that the law firm’s work on their eviction case was a “fiasco.” Zona Bernier and Gary Hill of Orange County, California, allege that Jones Day pressured them to accept a “burdensome settlement” without asserting legitimate…

Aug 1, 2019 2:09 PM CDT

Thanks to email error, those taking California bar exam now know essay question topics

When California bar exam test-takers received an email July 27, listing the topics to be covered on the upcoming state bar exam, many of them thought it was a hoax. It turns out that email, which was sent by the State Bar of California, was legitimate.

Jul 30, 2019 11:32 AM CDT

Appeals court allows defamation suit for comments by Cosby lawyer day after ‘epic’ settlement

A California appeals court has ruled against actor Bill Cosby’s bid to toss a defamation lawsuit by former model Janice Dickinson. The ruling comes just one day after Dickinson’s lawyer announced that the case had settled for “an epic amount.” California’s Second District Court of Appeal ruled Friday in the…

Jul 29, 2019 12:53 PM CDT

Knife-wielding man is shot outside LA courthouse amid infringement case against Katy Perry

A courthouse security officer shot and wounded a man wielding a knife outside the federal courthouse in Los Angeles on Tuesday as testimony continued in a trial that contends that Katy Perry’s 2013 song “Dark Horse” improperly borrowed from a 2008 Christian hip-hop song. The man was shot in the…

Jul 24, 2019 11:22 AM CDT

New ABA pro bono program gives Mary Ryan a firsthand look at immigration at the border

“Part of the whole point, I think, in the ABA making this opportunity available is so that people can talk about it to people who care what’s happening on the border but can’t go themselves,” says Mary Ryan, an environmental litigator at Nutter McClennen & Fish in Boston. “It will make you a better advocate.”

Jul 24, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

Strangers in a strange land: ‘Metering’ makes asylum rights meaningless, immigrant advocates say

Metering has created further barriers of all kinds in the legal process, including barriers to finding a pro bono lawyer, to those lawyers’ ability to provide effective representation and even to notifying the immigrants of their hearings. Most concerning to immigrant rights advocates, it leaves immigrants so unsafe that they may be deterred from claiming asylum in the first place.

Jul 24, 2019 6:00 AM CDT

7th Circuit won’t overrule precedent barring female inmate’s challenge of strip searches as training exercise

Female prisoners in Illinois can't sue under the Fourth Amendment for being forced to show their genitals in a training exercise, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Jul 19, 2019 1:15 PM CDT

Lawyers can be sued for allegedly violating confidentiality deal in Monster Energy suit

A lawyer who sued Monster Energy in the cardiac death of a teenager can be sued for allegedly violating a confidentiality clause that was part of the case settlement, the California Supreme Court has ruled. In its July 11 decision, the court said Monster Energy could sue Bruce Schechter and…

Jul 16, 2019 1:30 PM CDT

Nonlawyers could offer legal advice and partly own law firms under these California proposals

The State Bar of California is asking for public comment on proposals that would allow legal technicians to offer legal advice and nonlawyers to hold a financial interest in law firms.

Jul 15, 2019 11:05 AM CDT

Public defender is gored while taking selfie at running of the bulls

A public defender from California thought the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, had ended when he decided to take a video selfie after participating in the opening bull run Sunday. Jaime Alvarez, 46, was not safe, however. A stray bull charged and gored Alvarez in the neck, report…

Jul 10, 2019 2:20 PM CDT