NLS eNews

By Omar Anorga, The Anorga Law Firm, Inc. From time to time, litigators will be faced with the hurdle of having to introduce and admit foreign language testimony at trial. The initial thought of doing so may seem daunting but it should not be since introducing and admitting foreign testimony is fundamentally the same as doing so for non-foreign testimony except for an interpretation and translation component. With the increase of California’s cultural diversity, sooner or later litigators will likely… Read more

By Justin Borrowdale, Diepenbrock, Elkin Gleason LLP While no two transactions are the same, many commercial real estate purchases (or sales, depending on which side of the transaction you are on) follow a similar structure. While clients are sometimes hesitant to involve their attorney as the transaction process is developing, early involvement typically makes representation, and the entire transaction, go more smoothly for the client. Clients are understandably hesitant to involve lawyers because we can be expensive and clients often… Read more

By Christina E. Cortino, Esq., Law Office of Christina E. Cortino Using social media as a busy legal professional may seem like a daunting undertaking. Platforms such as Twitter require frequent postings to maintain and gain followers, while Facebook and Instagram are geared towards personal communication rather than professional networking. LinkedIn, however, offers tools attorneys can use to establish a professional presence online, market their expertise, and engage their network and prospective clients. Professional social networking has benefits for all… Read more

By Paul T. Moura, Hunton & Williams LLP For new attorneys, the idea of litigating in the federal court system can be intimidating.  The rules are different, the standards can be tougher and the stakes can be higher.  A plaintiff gets first dibs on where to file a lawsuit, but defendants who prefer to litigate in federal court have various tools at their disposal to remove a case to federal court if certain requirements are met.  As an attorney, your… Read more

By W. Martin Behn, Hopkins & Carley The last time we wrote an article about job resources in January 2015 for the unemployed, under employed, and unappeasable, the bar passage rate was one of California’s lowest in nearly a decade.  Just a few months later, in July 2015, the bar passage rate had slipped to the worst in nearly 30 years.  The silver lining is that during the same period statewide unemployment dropped in California by about 1.3%. Despite encouraging… Read more

By Roey Z. Rahmil, Shartsis Friese LLP Two friends from college email you: they want to start a business together.  Can you handle the paperwork? A family acquaintance calls you out of the blue: she wants to sue her bank—the same small community bank that handles your law firm’s line of credit.  A law school colleague who moved in-house at a local tech company finally calls to see if you can handle a small collection case.  This could be a… Read more

by Chris McConkey, OneJustice Our society prioritizes the fairness of our legal system but persistently fails to protect the tens of millions of people who cannot afford an attorney in civil cases. As a result, civil justice is most available to those who can afford it—an outcome our society should find untenable. This article describes the justice gap in California and simple steps every new and young attorney can take to ameliorate it. There is no general right to counsel… Read more

by Richard P. Carlton, Director, Lawyer Assistance Program Having difficulty finding rewarding employment in a tight legal market creates tremendous stress for many early career lawyers.  To address these challenges, the Lawyer Assistance Program (“LAP”) of the State Bar of California, in conjunction with CYLA, is expanding its career counseling and career development services.  The LAP will continue to provide two free counseling sessions with a career counselor who specializes in assisting attorneys who wish to make a positive career… Read more

by Nicole Abboud, The Law Office of Nicole Abboud They say one of the best decisions you could ever make in your legal career is to go into solo practice, and by “they,” I’m referring to myself. I say that all the time. I opened my own practice over a year ago and it has been the most challenging yet rewarding journey in my life thus far. For many of you reading this, perhaps you’ve thought about hanging up your… Read more

by Amber R. Hayes, Hodson & Mullin Many of us are just beyond the memory of the Bar Exam, having recently passed, and cringe at the thought of taking another bar exam-like test. Isn’t that what the Specialist Exam is? We ask. Isn’t just another bar exam? No thank you! But, there is no reason to fear. The legal specialization exam is merely one day long and includes both a written essay portion and multiple choice questions; and, the California… Read more