CLA eNews

CLA is actively engaged with efforts underway at the State Bar of California that could result in regulatory changes for the legal profession. Read more

With the ongoing pandemic, more lawyers than ever before are working remotely. Can a lawyer admitted to practice law in California relocate and practice California law while located in another state? Can a lawyer who is not admitted to practice law in California practice the law of another state while physically located in California? Read more

I imagine you have already heard a lot about gratitude and how great it is for you. Whenever life becomes challenging, at least one friend or family member will likely remind you to appreciate and give thanks for all the good things in your life. Is there anything else to be said about gratitude? I submit there is indeed, and it bears repeating. Feeling even just a little bit thankful every day will bring long-lasting positive changes into your life. Read more

M.A. is a transactional attorney practicing intellectual property and business/corporate law, including working with entrepreneurs and start-ups on their patents, trademarks, copyrights, protection of trade secrets, and compliance training of employees. Before coming to law, she spent 13 years doing biomedical research, including co-authoring a dozen publications of original research in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Read more

Dozens of new laws went on the books as of January 1 that are of interest to California lawyers. Make sure you’re up to speed on all the changes. Here are some highlights. Read more

If 2020 taught us anything, it is how quickly we can adapt to new ways to provide service. Here at CLA, we are spearheading two important efforts to explore changes that will shape the legal profession in 2021 and beyond, as well as engaging in new programs and initiatives. Read more

I, like most people, welcome 2021 and couldn’t wait to watch 2020 recede into the rearview mirror. But for the California Lawyers Association, 2020 was not all bad. Yes, we endured a horrible pandemic—a plague that is ongoing but the end of which is in sight. And yes, once again America wrestled with the ugly truth of its systemic racism. And for many of us, sheltering in place took a toll on our well-being. But thanks to the incredible efforts of volunteer leaders throughout our bar association, CLA met these challenges in ways that are nothing short of amazing for an organization that launched a mere three years ago. Read more

Lawyers, and sometimes courts, struggle with complicated questions about conflicts of interest. What constitutes adversity? When are two representations “substantially related”? When is informed consent curative? When will the inappropriate receipt of confidential information (received from, for example, an inadvertent communication or by virtue of improper contact with a represented party) warrant disqualification of counsel? Read more

The California Lawyers Association is awarding the prestigious Bernard E. Witkin Medal to outgoing Supreme Court Justice Ming Chin and bestowing other awards on others who represent the best of the legal profession. Read more

With all that has gone on in 2020, it is time that we take a fresh look at how we are feeling about the changes in our world and how we have responded to loss and uncertainty. All of us feel the stress and anxiety of loss, change and uncertainty and many of us need help to readjust, adapt or reset. The size and scope of what we are collectively feeling is big and it feels different than anything we have previously experienced. Read more