GUEST COLUMNS
Monday, May 11, 2026
In an era of remote practice, lawyers who view supervision as merely reactive risk serious professional consequences, as state bars and courts increasingly expect proactive oversight of lawyers and nonlawyers alike to prevent misconduct before clients are harmed.
For over a century, California trial courts have effectuated pretrial detention through sureties set at amounts a defendant could not pay. Kowalczyk answers two questions long reserved by the Court and holds the practice cannot continue.
Friday, May 8, 2026
The House of Representatives has passed bipartisan legislation that would amend the Internal Revenue Code so survivors of sexual abuse and unwanted, illegal sexual contact no longer pay taxes on their legal settlement income.
As EPA PFAS drinking water standards shift and evolve, lawsuits over contamination and responsibility are rapidly expanding across the country.
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
The Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling in Louisiana
v. Callais fundamentally undermined the Voting Rights Act by requiring
proof of intentional discrimination under Section 2, making majority-communities
of color districts far harder to create and defend.
As California's employment enforcement landscape grows increasingly aggressive, employers must prioritize proactive audits, updated timekeeping policies, and continuous compliance monitoring to navigate the state's unforgiving wage and hour laws heading into 2026.
Monday, May 4, 2026
As AI increasingly provides actionable assistance in dangerous contexts, the law must confront whether existing concepts of criminal liability are adequate when technology functionally aids violent crime without possessing human intent.
On April 22, the attorney general amended the Code of Federal Regulations, placing state-licensed medicinal cannabis into Schedule III--but in states like California, where 95% of retailers hold both medical and adult-use licenses, significant questions remain.
Friday, May 1, 2026
Uber has spent five years arguing Proposition 22 rewrote California tort law; a recent arbitration award confirms it did not--Section 5354 still imputes driver negligence to the permit holder, regardless of classification.
Even well-intentioned workplace initiatives may invite legal scrutiny--the EEOC's lawsuit against Coca-Cola illustrates an expanding view of actionable harm under Title VII.
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
College football's unchecked NIL economy, transfer chaos and fragmented governance are creating legal and competitive instability that could be mitigated by a centralized, sport-specific commissioner.
The EEOC lawsuit against a Coca-Cola beverage distributor over a women-only company retreat marks the first time the agency has taken legal action against corporate DEI programming.
Monday, April 27, 2026
The rise of AI-informed and data-savvy clients in family law is transforming attorney-client relationships by shifting consultations from procedural education to strategic counseling, requiring greater transparency, coordination and multidisciplinary practice management.
A copyright lawsuit over critical YouTube videos has been cited as part of a growing "copyright silencing" trend, raising concerns that infringement claims are being used to deter speech rather than protect markets.
Friday, April 24, 2026
As CARB implements a first-in-the-nation climate risk disclosure framework, it is giving insurers a pass even as other companies must assess and disclose climate risks.
Meta's removal of end-to-end encrypted Instagram DMs raises a threshold question: whether users' expectation that their messages are "private" carries any meaningful protection under California law.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Prop. 65 has mushroomed from a modest regulatory requirement into one of the most powerful litigation tools in the world--and for manufacturers, suppliers and retailers, the question is no longer whether the law applies, but whether they are prepared to deal with the consequences.
ICE detention deaths are rising, often preventable and frequently tied to private contractors--yet California plaintiffs' attorneys have stronger tools than many realize to force accountability and recover damages.
Monday, April 20, 2026
Amid mounting stress in the opaque private credit market, Burnell v. BlackRock TCP Capital Corp. spotlights investor claims that lenders inflated portfolio values--raising the specter of litigation reminiscent of the 2008 financial crisis.
Mittal v. Unilever frames a threshold question: when do statements made in the ordinary course of corporate governance become actionable defamation under the First Amendment.
Friday, April 17, 2026
U.S. military interventions are costly and often ineffective, leaving instability abroad while increasing financial, human, and political strain at home.
An ongoing oil shock is exposing California's energy vulnerability and the limits of Title 24, which, while improving efficiency, is increasingly misaligned with electrification, AI-driven demand and climate resilience needs.
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
A California appellate decision confirms that ignorance is no defense for prime contractors when payroll records show no apprentices.
AI adoption is already widespread, making bans unrealistic and strategically unsound; instead, leaders must distinguish value-enhancing use from risky shortcuts--often by asking better questions.
Monday, April 13, 2026
When the Pasadena/Altadena wildfires left rental housing standing but uninhabitable, the problem was not the law but its enforcement--making the writ of mandate a particularly sharp tool for closing that gap.
Human performers rely on privacy and publicity rights to control their brand. But when the performer is an animal, those doctrines fall away--leaving trademark law to fill the gap.
Courtesy photo
Kevin Orsini of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
Kevin Orsini of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
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NEWS
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General News
Monday, May 11, 2026 |
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| Tens of millions of Americans may also be due refunds of a different sort -- on tax penalties and interest charged during the COVID-19 pandemic. | |
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General News
Monday, May 11, 2026 |
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| A Los Angeles jury rejected producer Matthew Spatola's copyright and co-authorship claims over Jason Derulo's "Savage Love," finding his contributions noncopyrightable and affirming defense arguments he worked as session musician. | |
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General News
Monday, May 11, 2026 |
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| A plaintiffs' attorney in the Uber passenger sexual assault multidistrict litigation agreed to step back from the case after Uber accused him of making obscene and disparaging remarks toward opposing counsel during a February conference call. | |
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General News
Friday, May 8, 2026 |
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| Former OpenAI board member Helen Toner testified that directors were routinely left uninformed about major company developments -- including the launch of ChatGPT -- as Elon Musk seeks to prove OpenAI abandoned its nonprofit mission and concealed critical decisions from its governing board. | |
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General News
Friday, May 8, 2026 |
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| Meta and Google seek to overturn a $6 million social media addiction verdict, arguing Section 230 and First Amendment bar liability for alleged harms from platform features. | |
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General News
Friday, May 8, 2026 |
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| When Google added a new button for searching the web with generative artificial intelligence, the feature debuted with such glaring flaws, like a tendency to make things up, that I was skeptical it would become my go-to tool for finding information online. | |
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General News
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 |
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| Monday's cross-examination of OpenAI president and co-founder Greg Brockman centered on his profit motives, drawing from internal writings. | |
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General News
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 |
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| Elon Musk's rocket and satellite company is about to hold what could be the largest initial public offering ever, allowing anyone to own its stock after 24 years as a private firm. So why does it seem that so many people already do? | |
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General News
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 |
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| Federal antitrust officials urge a Los Angeles court to let claims proceed against insurers accused of coordinating policy cancellations before the 2025 wildfires. | |
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General News
Monday, May 4, 2026 |
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| A judge backed a scaled-down, phased bellwether process in the Eaton Fire cases, citing concerns that preparing too many claims at once could derail trial timelines. | |
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General News
Monday, May 4, 2026 |
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| Civil rights groups won fees after challenging a library policy of making certain books without parental consent. | |
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General News
Monday, May 4, 2026 |
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| While the Supreme Court's decision on the Voting Rights Act is expected to lead to significant changes in how Black voters are represented in the South, it could also affect how Latino and Asian Americans are represented in parts of the country where they comprise a large share of the electorate. | |
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General News
Friday, May 1, 2026 |
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| Los Angeles plaintiffs argue their claims over utility hikes and records access should proceed on a classwide basis. | |
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General News
Friday, May 1, 2026 |
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| Latitude 33 Planning, Engineering & Surveying is growing its Los Angeles operations, adding a veteran business development director and moving into a larger downtown office while also opening a new survey hub in Burbank. | |
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General News
Friday, May 1, 2026 |
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| Strong demand and aggressive rate hikes fueled a hot first quarter, though rising inventories and slower collections point to emerging pressures. | |
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General News
Friday, May 1, 2026 |
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| Over the past three years, Google, Meta and other tech companies have used the same artificial intelligence behind chatbots to power advertising. | |
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General News
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 |
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| A federal judge in Oakland seated a jury in Elon Musk's case against OpenAI, rejecting bias challenges despite harsh juror comments, setting the stage for opening statements on alleged charitable trust breaches. | |
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General News
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 |
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| Defense attorneys argue Jeff Rosen's campaign fundraising and public remarks create a conflict of interest and threaten a fair retrial. | |
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General News
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 |
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| Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced the state would be distributing $145.4 million to eight California regions in an effort to end homelessness. | |
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General News
Monday, April 27, 2026 |
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| A proposed class action alleges Robinhood's prediction markets are unlawful sports betting, while the company says the federally regulated products are legitimate financial derivatives and vows to fight the claims. | |
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General News
Monday, April 27, 2026 |
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| Roughly 11,000 people are turning 65 each day in the United States. And many of them hope to spend their remaining years in the comfort of their homes, rather than in assisted-living or other care facilities. | |
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General News
Monday, April 27, 2026 |
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| The case is one of several prosecutions so far this year under District Attorney Todd Spitzer's initiative targeting adults who let minors ride illegal electric motorcycles on public roads. | |
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General News
Friday, April 24, 2026 |
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| Jurors found the Riverside County Sheriff's Department forced a veteran sergeant to resign after he reported workplace harassment, including disturbing leaflets placed in his uniform and holster. | |
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General News
Friday, April 24, 2026 |
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| What to know before tapping into your home's equity | |
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General News
Friday, April 24, 2026 |
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| A federal appeals court overturned a California man's insider trading conviction, ruling the trial judge failed to adequately investigate a juror who expressed doubts about his ability to remain impartial. | |
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General News
Monday, May 11, 2026 |
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| A Los Angeles judge questioned whether Edison can prove leaking gas infrastructure caused additional Eaton Fire destruction while reconsidering a tentative ruling largely denying SoCalGas' challenge to Edison cross-claims. | |
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General News
Friday, May 8, 2026 |
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| Plaintiffs behind a closely watched lawsuit challenging San Francisco's handling of homelessness, drug use and public-health policies in the Tenderloin have dismissed the case with prejudice after a federal judge ruled they lacked standing to pursue injunctive relief against the city. | |
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General News
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 |
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| Opening statements highlight dispute over scientific evidence and internal company documents in ovarian cancer case. | |
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General News
Monday, May 4, 2026 |
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| A rare policy-limits settlement highlights how non-economic damages and personal narrative can drive recovery for elderly plaintiffs. | |
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General News
Friday, May 1, 2026 |
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| The federal appeals court found Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act bars claims over Facebook's algorithmic recommendations, though the judges signal concern about the law's broad reach. | |
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General News
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 |
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| SoCalGas argues California law bars any duty to shut off gas service during wildfires as it seeks dismissal of Southern California Edison's cross-claims in Eaton Fire litigation. | |
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General News
Monday, April 27, 2026 |
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| The city now will have to perform an environmental analysis in accordance with CEQA if it wants to re-enact the ban. | |
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General News
Friday, April 24, 2026 |
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| Jurors found a Tustin officer used excessive force in the 2021 shooting of Luis Garcia, a homeless, mentally ill man, rejecting qualified immunity defenses after a 9th Circuit remand. | |