CLA eNews

As we celebrate Black History Month, we take this opportunity to highlight the incredible work of CLA’s Racial Justice Committee and update you on the association’s efforts to advance racial equity and diversity within the organization, throughout the justice system, and beyond. Read more

Wanna get away? Given the state of the world around us, I will assume the answer is yes, so let’s hop in the mental time machine for a moment and chart a course for exactly one year ago, to January 2020. If you are like me—or most people—that might as well be a journey back to the Carolingian Empire given how distant, remote, and fully unfamiliar it seems. “Wait, was that even a thing?” you might be asking. Indeed, it was, and it was just 12 short months ago that many of us were looking ahead to 2020 with growing optimism, enthusiasm, and energy. Read more

CLA members are sharing how they became successful lawyers, despite the obstacles they faced, to inspire young people from a variety of backgrounds to consider legal careers. Read more

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