Litigation Section

What do you do when an ethical issue arises during a mediation? How do you handle the difficult and awkward discussion that lies ahead? Whether you are acting as a neutral or an advocate, our interactive discussion will provide tools to navigate these difficult decisions and conversations. We will review and discuss various hypothetical situations that present ethical dilemmas. Read more

Join CLA and leading arbitration institutions and organizations from around the world – in a week-long series of complimentary virtual/hybrid programs – celebrating international arbitration in California. California International Arbitration Week is hosted by the ADR Committee of the CLA Litigation Section Read more

A monthly publication of the Litigation Section of the California Lawyers Association. Read more

The Jury Instructions Committee of the California Lawyers Association’s Litigation Section has reviewed the proposed revisions to civil jury instructions (CACI 22-02) and appreciates the opportunity to submit these comments. Read more

Judge Jennifer L. Thurston received her commission on December 27, 2021, filling the seat formerly held by the Hon. Lawrence J. O’Neill. Likely familiar to many FBA members, Judge Thurston served our district as a United States Magistrate Judge for twelve years before joining the district court bench. Before that, she litigated a huge variety of cases in Kern County including civil rights, personal injury, wrongful death, premises liability, election law, subrogation, and employment disputes. And she was a Certified Appellate Specialist, with more than 100 appeals and writs in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Fifth District Court of Appeal, and the California Supreme Court under her belt. Read more

On Friday, May 13, 2022, judges from each of the four District Courts in California joined CLA’s Annual Litigation & Appellate Summit for a Judges’ Town Hall. Mariam Kaloustian moderated a thoughtful discussion with the Honorable Yvonne Gonzales Rogers from the Northern District, the Honorable Philip S. Gutierrez Read more

This is the Litigation Section's ADR Hall of Fame Sponsorship Form. Read more

A monthly publication of the Litigation Section of the California Lawyers Association. Read more

Before becoming a Judge, Jill Burkhardt was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of California, Criminal Division. She started her career as an associate at Baker and McKenzie. Judge Burkhardt earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Minnesota and her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she graduated Cum Laude. In this interview, Judge Burkhardt discusses her path to the Bench, her experience transitioning from advocate to judge, and the importance of professionalism and civility in the legal profession. Read more

A monthly publication of the Litigation Section of the California Lawyers Association. Read more