CLA eNews

CLA’s Real Property Law Section held its annual Real Property Law Retreat in Sonoma, California, the weekend of March 24-26, 2023. For the first time, this retreat was co-hosted with the Women in Commercial Leasing Law Symposium.  Read more

This Ethics Spotlight highlights attorney obligations with respect to client trust accounts in light of recent concerns with respect to bank stability.  Read more

What if you could receive your total fee upfront at the beginning of an engagement while still allowing your clients to pay in installments? It sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? With legal fee financing, not only is it possible, you can start taking advantage of this modern payment option today. Read more

Mark Twain said, "The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and when you discover the reason why." Read more

The inaugural Privacy Summit, hosted by California Lawyers Association’s Privacy Law Section, brought together some of the most prominent legal minds in the field to discuss the latest developments in privacy law. Held over two full days in Los Angeles on February 9 and 10, the conference was packed with informative panels and sessions where attendees were treated to a wealth of information and insights into the most pressing privacy law topics and concerns of the day. Read more

For more than a decade, California legal services providers have discussed the need for a system that could easily connect individual lawyers with the many pro bono opportunities available across the state.  Read more

Sometimes, I feel that the expression “less is more” is overused. Usually, I find that less is less and more is more. Circumstances rarely justify a juxtaposition of those words’ meanings. But perhaps we are in one of those unusual times, at least as it concerns the regulation of our profession. Read more

Famous filmmaker and publicist Ava DuVernay said when talking about her film Selma, “When we’re talking about diversity, it’s not a box to check…this reality must be deeply felt and valued by us all.” And I couldn't agree more. Read more

On March 9, 2023, a sold-out audience gathered at the Hotel Zelos for the Sixth Annual “Celebrating Women in Competition Law in California” panel presentation and networking event. The attendees spanned all age groups—from law students to young lawyers to experienced practitioners—and all sectors, including the plaintiff side, defense side, in-house, and government. The co-creators and co-chairs, Jill M. Manning* and Kate Patchen,** kicked off the event. Read more

While not an episode of Schoolhouse Rock!, California Lawyers Association’s recent foray into the judicial process could be the premise for the catchy after-school cartoon. The Ninth Circuit case of In re Grand Jury[2] provided an opportunity for the Taxation Section on behalf of CLA to draft three amicus briefs that eventually culminated in oral argument before the United States Supreme Court (the “Supreme Court”), truly a government lesson on how a case reaches the Marble Palace. For CLA, it proved to be an excellent vehicle to advocate for an issue of particular importance to its members and the clients they represent concerning one of the oldest legal tenants: the attorney-client privilege.  Read more