New Lawyers Section

On March 20, 2019, CYLA members attended the inaugural CLA Legislative Day in Sacramento. Speakers included Assembly members Mark Stone and Ash Kalra, Senators Hannah-Beth Jackson and Andreas Borgeas, Cory Jasperson of the Judicial Council of California, and Che Salinas of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Office. Read more

Have you heard? A comprehensive set of new Rules of Professional Conduct were approved by the California Supreme Court last year. The new Rules represent the first comprehensive rewrite of the Rules of Professional Conduct in almost 30 years. Read more

In a partial victory for certain student-loan debtors planning to use the Department of Education’s (the “Department”) federal student-loan forgiveness program, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued a ruling in February regarding the Department’s decision to reverse its determination on whether certain organizations were “qualified public service organizations” for purposes of the 2007 Public Service Loan Forgiveness (“PSLF”) law. Read more

CYLA is proud to present a new self-study article on lawful immigration and paths to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Even if you do not need the MCLE, this article is a great primer on immigration laws and current updates. Read more

Come join the Beverly Hills Bar Association and members of the California Young Lawyers Association for networking with drinks at happy hour pricing. Read more

By Chris McConkey Rates of anxiety, depression, and harmful drinking are high in the legal profession, and especially high among its new generation. These issues harm attorneys and stifle the availability of affordable, high quality legal services. The legal profession has the opportunity—and perhaps the responsibility—to intervene in structural peculiarities that harm student and attorney health. Last winter, the Journal of Addiction Medicine published findings from a national study of about 13,000 attorneys. The researchers found that 28% of respondents showed signs of depression,… Read more

By Elizabeth Balassone This summer, in the midst of preparing for my first trial, I received a voicemail that was (admittedly) a complete shock:  CYLA Chair Shawtina Ferguson had called to congratulate me as the recipient of the Jack Berman Award of Achievement for commitment to pro bono service.  Learning about Jack Berman was humbling in every sense of the word:  Mr. Berman was an incredible young attorney killed in the 101 California Street shooting.  At the age of 36,… Read more

By Katherine Becker At a recent Ventura County Barristers event, I had the privilege of speaking with a few members of the Ventura County Bench.  I took the opportunity to ask them two questions:  First: If you could give new attorneys one piece of advice, what would it be?  Second: What is the single most common mistake you see new attorneys make in your courtroom?  They provided illuminating tips that all attorneys should keep in mind as they progress through… Read more

By Candice A. Garcia-Rodrigo Every young lawyer comes out of law school with the hopes of making a difference in the justice system and their local communities. Studying case law and black letter law informs the young attorney that there are rules to abide by, for which there are consequences if not followed. What professors fail to mention to these young attorneys with altruistic and inspiring visions is that the most important part of practicing law is to “CYA.” That… Read more

By Danielle Stephens and Justin Borrowdale Transactional attorneys play a key role in guiding their clients through various aspects of the sale of a business.  Many clients operate their business from property that they do not own, but instead lease from a third party.  In that case, when your client is preparing sell its business, you will need to contemplate how to transfer your client’s rights and obligations under the lease to the new business owner and limit any future… Read more