CLA eNews

Over the past few weeks, the legal community here in the United States has faced extraordinary challenges. Law firms, judges, and the Rule of Law itself have been under attack. There are ongoing efforts to silence and intimidate law firms, lawyers, and judges.  These attacks on the legal community have had a chilling effect on free speech. Read more

We live in interesting times. In such situations, we sometimes lose sight of the basics. For CLA, our North Star is our mission: “Promoting excellence, diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and fairness in the administration of justice and the rule of law.”  We have adhered to this mission since day one, and 2025 has been no different. We can point to many examples during the first quarter of this year, and now as we head into the second quarter. Read more

On Friday afternoons when I was in high school, I just wanted to be finished with my homework. I didn’t need an “A;” good enough was good enough and I would take the “B.” This of course was back in the days when editing typed papers could require retyping the entire document. Always cognizant of my time, I was destined to be a part of the billable-hour profession many of us practice in our careers. Read more

I am excited to invite you to participate in the CLF Classic Charity Golf Tournament, “Fairways to Justice,” hosted by the California Lawyers Foundation (CLF) on Thursday, April 17, 2025, at the prestigious Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Coast, California. This premier event brings together legal professionals, business leaders, and supporters for a day of exceptional golf, networking, and philanthropy Read more

Whether you binged all six seasons of Better Call Saul, enjoy settling in on the couch for a weekly dose of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, or can’t get enough of true crime documentaries produced by Netflix, these programs all have something in common. They each share a “take” on the life and work of attorneys. Read more

Attorneys from northern California learned and laughed together at California Lawyers Association’s (CLA) In-House Counsel Conference held on Friday, March 21 at CLA’s headquarters in Sacramento. The educational event was designed to enhance the effectiveness, ethical awareness, and strategic impact of in-house counsel in the evolving business and regulatory landscape. Read more

Everyone has heard the saying “fake it until you make it” in the legal profession.  This means being confident and acting like you know what you are doing even if you don’t.  Certainly, every lawyer confronts a seemingly endless number of “first times” (facing a judge, facing a jury, taking a deposition) so acting like “you have been there before,” is a good idea.  But there are limits to the “fake it until you make it” when it comes to how a lawyer promotes themself in public. Read more

As the terms AI or Artificial Intelligence (AI) and more notably Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) are being used frequently in today’s world, I question its meaning in the context of the practice of law, which typically involves human beings analyzing case law, statutes and procedures; and applying such knowledge to the facts in client’s matter to provide competent representation to the client.  There is much that is being written about AI and the ethical standards that should apply[1].   However, at present, there are  no settled standards, including in the practice of law, for its use.  Lawyers continue to be bound by the California Rules of Professional Conduct (“CRPC” or “Rules”), statutes Read more

Billing is the lifeblood of law practice, but many of us have no idea what we are doing when it comes to invoicing and collecting payments. Similarly, we know we have to adhere to regulations regarding trust accounts, but how do we as attorneys actually accomplish three-way reconciliation? Law school did not prepare us to strike out on our own, and many attorneys find themselves hampered by tedious administrative tasks when we should be more focused on working our cases. Read more

If your work involves labor, employment, public entities or public employees in California,   California Lawyers Association’s (CLA) Labor and Employment Law Section Public Sector Conference is a must-attend event. Read more