The Advisor

The State Bar’s Board of Trustees created a Task Force on Access through Innovation of Legal Services (ATILS) which was charged with identifying “possible regulatory changes for enhancing the delivery of, and access to, legal services through the use of technology, including artificial intelligence and online legal service delivery models.”  ATILS was asked to balance two goals:  consumer protection and increased access to legal services.  In response, ATILS prepared a set of regulatory reform options, and the public has been… Read more

If you work as a contract lawyer—or if you hire contract lawyers—you will be interested in AB 5. AB 5 impacts the determination of who qualifies as an independent contractor. Read more

When it comes to job applications and pre-employment interviews, there are certain topics that are off limits. Here are seven topics to stay away from. Read more

For those who asked, the comic we debuted last month features lead character Amadis Moreno, and their support team Johnny Liu and Leondra Barton. As you might be able to tell by my choice of pronouns, Amadis is a non-binary Latinx lawyer and the diversity that they and their team bring to the legal practice “give me life” Read more

The State Bar is seeking public comment on proposals for regulatory reforms to promote access to justice developed by the Task Force on Access Through Innovation of Legal Services. The deadline to provide public comment is September 23, 2019. Read more

On June 26, Governor Newsom approved Assembly Bill 692, which amended the Mandatory Fee Arbitration Act to toll the statute of limitations governing a client’s action for malpractice or professional misconduct while an arbitration over a fee dispute is pending. Specifically, the legislation amended sections 6206 of the Business and Professions Code (governing the MFAA) and 340.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure (governing the statute of limitations for professional misconduct). Read more

When writing a letter to the opposing side or your client, the most important goal is to be clear and understood. You can’t be effective in making your point if your writing style obscures your message. Read more

Last month, I talked about Fastcase, which is a free member benefit to any member of the CLA. This month, I will walk you through the initial steps for using Fastcase. By the way, I hope you know this member benefit is worth $695 per year!! Read more

Welcome to August. You’re going to see California Lawyers Association through a new lens with its official Brand Launch rolling out on August 6. Despite the fabulous new, modern look, you’ll get the same great CLA that you’re used to. Read more

The Solo and Small Firm Section has two publications: The Practitioner, our quarterly magazine; and the ePractioner, our monthly electronic newsletter. We are always looking for content. Read more