Litigation Section

COVID-19 Update: The District Court adopted a policy regarding COVID-19 vaccinations and testing, effective October 1, 2021. (Policy.) On October 4, 2021, the Court extended its authority pursuant to provisions of the CARES Act through January 14, 2022. Accordingly, court hearings by video or telephonic conference may continue to be held in certain criminal matters. (Notice.) Read more

View our ADR Hall of Fame winners Read more

This program will explore the ethical responsibilities of attorneys working in a law firm. Topics include; properly maintaining a system to run conflict checks; the types of things to check for; imputation of conflicts of interest; effective ethical screens; use of contract lawyers; multijurisdictional practices; lawyers performing non-legal functions; and supervision. Read more

COVID-19 Update: The District Court adopted a policy regarding COVID-19 vaccinations and testing, effective October 1, 2021. (Policy.) On October 4, 2021, the Court extended its authority pursuant to provisions of the CARES Act through January 14, 2022. Accordingly, court hearings by video or telephonic conference may continue to be held in certain criminal matters. 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 21-02) and appreciates the opportunity to submit these comments. Read more

Patricia A. Donahue was appointed as a Magistrate Judge by the United States Court for the Central District of California in May 2020. Before her appointment as a Magistrate Judge, Judge Donahue served with distinction as an Assistant United States Attorney since 1991. As an Assistant United States Attorney, she served in a number of significant roles, including Deputy Chief of the Major Crimes Section, Chief of the General Crimes Section, Chief of the Organized Crime and Terrorism Section (and… Read more

By Allison L. Westfahl Kong Allison L. Westfahl Kong is a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles.  Any views expressed are her own, and do not represent the position of the U.S. Attorney's Office or the U.S. Department of Justice. On September 1, 2021, the Federal Courts Committee of the California Lawyers Association and the Federal Bar Association’s Sacramento, San Joaquin, San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, Inland Empire, and Northern District of California chapters hosted a webinar about COVID’s continuing… Read more

by Michael L. Huggins and Elaine Zhong A central mission of the California Lawyers Association’s Committee on Federal Courts is to monitor activity across the California federal courts in an effort to keep members of the Litigation Section informed about federal issues that may have an impact on their California practices.  In connection with this mission, the Committee reviews and submits recommendations on issues that affect California federal-court practice. For example, this year, the Committee has reviewed and submitted comments… Read more

For more federal court specific content, please see the Federal Court Committee’s Quarterly Newsletter here. The Federal Court Committee’s full Fourth Quarter 2021 Newsletter includes an interview with Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Donahue (C.D. Cal.); a summary of the Committee’s recent comments on proposed rule changes; and a summary of the recent four-District webinar featuring: U.S. District Court Judges Anthony J. Battaglia (S.D. Cal.), Beth L. Freeman (N.D. Cal.), Philip S. Gutierrez (C.D. Cal.), and Kimberly J. Mueller (E.D. Cal).… Read more