CLA eNews

CLA, in partnership with Legal Aid Association of California, and in collaboration with the newly independent California Access to Justice Commission, hosted two convening meetings on September 11. Read more

With Chip ending his one-year term as board chair and Emilio entering the second year of his presidency, we wanted to share with you our perspective on a challenging but remarkable year – and what it means for you and the larger legal community. Read more

Earlier this year, the section formerly known as the International Law Section officially changed its name to the “International Law and Immigration Section.” Recently I, along with the Section’s Chair, Josh Surowitz, invited foreign bars with whom CLA has Friendship Agreements to attend our Annual Meeting. These bar-to-bar “treaties” between CLA and overseas bars include agreements with bars ranging from Japan to Mexico to Europe. These events, among others, have caused me to reflect on the tremendous potential the California Lawyers Association has to attract immigration practitioners and lawyers who live, work and practice law in various locales around the world. Read more

Working from home orders and quarantine mandates mean that attorneys have had to adapt their practices to a new normal. When the COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States around March of this year, law practices in many areas of the country were forced to go remote. This (sometimes bumpy) transition raised many concerns for lawyers, top among them being how to get paid by their clients. Read more

After the State Bar of California was de-unified, and the brand-new California Lawyers Association (CLA) was created, its inaugural leaders began mulling a big question: how can we best mobilize our 100,000 members to give back to the profession and our communities? Read more

The State Bar of California invites California attorneys to apply to become an apprentice grader for the California Bar Exam. Read more

The American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates has adopted a resolution sponsored by the California Lawyers Association urging governments to pass anti-lynching legislation to “make it clear that such measures have no place in a system dedicated to the fair administration of justice and the rule of law.” Read more

There are certain instances where a lawyer is required to enter into a written fee contract, or engagement agreement, with a client. They include where the client is an individual and the fees and costs are expected to exceed $1,000 (Cal Bus. & Prof. Code § 6148(a)) and where the lawyer takes on the matter under a contingency fee arrangement (id. at § 6147). Read more

Are you curious about the link between plant-based diets and health? Are you looking for ways to incorporate more plant-based foods into your daily meal plans? Our Health and Wellness Committee (HWC) is delighted to share some of its recent research with you. Read more

Volunteers are needed to join California’s Free Legal Answers platform*, a virtual legal advice clinic that answers questions from low income Californians on a variety of employment, housing and family issues caused by COVID-19 and now the recent Northern Californian wildfires. Read more