As part of CEB’s commitment to bringing together California’s legal community, our blog will post a short interview with one of your fellow attorneys. This week, we profile attorney Jeff Adachi: CEB: What is your practice area and how did you choose it? Jeff: I currently serve as the elected Public Defender in San Francisco [...]
Filed under: Criminal Law, Legal Topics, Profiles | Tagged: public defender | Comments Off
A district court judge in Massachusetts has held that same-sex spouses and surviving spouses are entitled to federal marriage benefits, including federal employee health benefits, Social Security survivor benefits, and joint tax returns. Gill & Letorneau v Office of Personnel Management (D Mass, July 8, 2010, Civil Action No. 09–10309–JLT) 2010 US Dist Lexis 67874.
Filed under: Family Law, Legal Topics, New Legal Developments | Tagged: federal benefits, marriage, same-sex | 1 Comment »
The ABA Journal reports the results of its recent survey showing the rise of mobile lawyering: Seventy-one percent of ABA members surveyed say they sometimes telecommute, and they are working in a variety of places. Lawyers are telecommuting at home (88 percent), in hotels (32 percent), in others’ offices (21 percent), in public places such as libraries [...]
Filed under: Practice of Law | Tagged: mobile lawyering, smartphones, technology, virtual office | Comments Off
An apology is not only a potentially powerful moral act, but it can be a powerful tool in deterring or settling a lawsuit. This power was described in a recent California Bar Journal article, which discussed how actor James Woods backed off his hard-line refusal to settle with the hospital where his brother died after a heartfelt apology from [...]
Filed under: Litigation Strategy | Tagged: apology, settlement | Comments Off
As reported in the California Bar Journal, the California State Bar is clamping down on attorneys who prey on distressed homeowners. Three more Southern California attorneys have been prohibited from practicing law based on their foreclosure-related misconduct and thousands of other investigations are underway. Interestingly, the errant attorneys often do not have direct contact with the homeowners, who instead deal [...]
Filed under: Practice of Law, Real property | Tagged: foreclosure, loan modification | Comments Off
California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George announced yesterday that he is retiring after 38 years on the bench while he is “at the top of [his] game.” SF Gate reports that Justice George wants his successor to be appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, expressing “a great sense of reassurance in the exemplary level of [...]
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: California Supreme Court, Chief Justice Ronald George, Governor Schwarzenegger | Comments Off
Most lawsuits seeking money or damages against a public entity or public employee acting within the scope of employment, must be preceded by a proper administrative claim under the Government Claims Act (formerly known as the Tort Claims Act) (Govt C §§810–998.3). The reasons for the claims presentation requirements are very practical: They give the governmental entity a chance to [...]
Filed under: Civil Litigation, Legal Topics | Tagged: claim, Government Claims Act, public entity | Comments Off
Choosing the right jury when conducting voir dire can be critical to winning your case, and yet many attorneys don’t give it nearly enough thought and effort. Consider the following practical suggestions for picking the perfect jury:
Filed under: Litigation Strategy | Tagged: jury, voir dire | Comments Off
