California

Cash-strapped California bar weighs cutting ties with NCBE, teaming with Kaplan on test-writing

Driven by money problems, the State Bar of California will decide this week if it will shift test-writing duties from the National Conference of Bar Examiners to Kaplan Test Prep for a Multistate Bar Exam replacement starting in February 2025.

May 15, 2024 5:00 PM CDT

When Trump criticizes judges online, calls for violence follow, analysis shows

Since March 1, at least 152 posts on three websites supportive of former President Donald Trump have called for violence against judges handling his high-profile cases, according to an analysis by Reuters.

May 15, 2024 1:41 PM CDT

Prosecutors excluded Jewish people from juries in one California county for decades, review suggests

Several prosecutors in Alameda County, California, excluded Jewish people from juries in past decades, according to the Alameda County district attorney.

May 14, 2024 3:16 PM CDT

Suit accuses BigLaw partner of ‘regurgitating’ claims of con artist who claimed to be CIA agent

A Swiss oil trading company alleges in a lawsuit that a Baker & Hostetler partner was either fooled by a con artist claiming to be a secret CIA operative or was a conspirator in the man’s scheme.

May 14, 2024 10:24 AM CDT

Ban on gun possession by felons is unconstitutional as applied to some offenders, 9th Circuit rules

In a 2-1 decision, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals court said the federal ban on gun possession is unconstitutional as applied to a nonviolent offender who had served his prison time.

May 13, 2024 3:15 PM CDT

Judge ordered removed for ‘troubling inability to conform his behavior’ to judicial standards

A California judge who hoped to find the “mole” cooperating with ethics investigators sought a review of employee emails and the hiring of outside counsel to complete the investigation, according to a May 2 decision ordering his removal from office.

May 8, 2024 10:10 AM CDT

Lowered bar pass cut scores mean better bar pass rates in 4 states

Of the five states that lowered the minimum score required for passing the bar last year, four of them had increases in their February 2024 bar passage rates, according to the latest data compiled by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

May 7, 2024 10:23 AM CDT

Family members struggle to help University of Chicago law grad who became homeless

Many states are trying to figure out how to help people like 44-year-old lawyer Rob Dart, who is living on the streets of Los Angeles after rejecting his medication for psychosis.

May 6, 2024 11:32 AM CDT

Federal judge reprimanded for handcuffing teen spectator in scared-straight approach

A federal judge who ordered a defendant’s daughter handcuffed to warn her about the consequences of drug use has been reprimanded by the judicial council of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at San Francisco.

May 2, 2024 10:58 AM CDT

With addition of 17 lawyers, Baker McKenzie picks up most of this firm’s corporate team

Baker McKenzie has added 17 corporate and tax lawyers from Munger, Tolles & Olson, including nine partners from the Los Angeles law firm.

Apr 24, 2024 3:02 PM CDT

10 temporary federal judgeships would become permanent under Senate bill approved on voice vote

The U.S. Senate on Saturday approved by voice vote a bipartisan bill that would make permanent 10 temporary federal district court judgeships.

Apr 23, 2024 9:36 AM CDT

Supreme Court divided over homeless ban and rights of the unhoused

Supreme Court justices expressed concern on Monday about punishing homeless people for sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go, while also struggling with how to ensure local and state leaders have flexibility to deal with the growing number of unhoused individuals nationwide.

Apr 22, 2024 2:35 PM CDT

Gender bias suit against Lewis Brisbois cites ‘sycophantic’ attorney favoritism, ‘systemic business deficiencies’

"Systemic business deficiencies" rooted in mismanagement at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith had a disparate impact on a female former partner suing the law firm for alleged bias, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday.

Apr 22, 2024 10:07 AM CDT

Supreme Court will consider whether criminalizing homelessness violates Eighth Amendment

Few doubt that the court’s decision in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson will be consequential for the nation’s homeless population and for those trying to help. “This case is really about whether the Constitution protects unhoused people against punishment when there is no shelter or housing available to them.”

Apr 18, 2024 1:00 PM CDT

Pulling the Weed: Bankruptcy opinion shows debt restructure path for cannabis workers

While 24 states have legalized recreational marijuana use, it remains a criminal activity under the federal Controlled Substances Act, and bankruptcy courts generally have been a rather hostile forum for debtors employed in the marijuana industry.

Apr 18, 2024 11:35 AM CDT