September 21, 2017 Amanda Peth Lessons Learned: Website Redesign (Part 1) Visually pleasing, descriptive, and easily digestible with clear yet engaging navigation - your website needs to encompass all of these features. After all, your website is your firm in the online world. Often it is the first interaction potential clients have with your firm. With short attention spans and constant competition for... More +
August 28, 2017 Abimael “AJ” Bastida [VIDEO] Just Took the Bar Exam, Now What? You just took the bar exam. You have survived hundreds of hours of studying. So, what now?For months you have meticulously scheduled every single day - when to wake up, what to eat, when to study, what time to go sleep, etc. If you are anything like me, you may feel lost now that the bar is over. To make matters worse, the bar results are not... More +
August 17, 2017 Vanessa Hill Make Blogging A Reality At Your Firm If your goal is to start a firm blog this year, I wish you great success. In my experience, blogging does not come naturally to law firms but it has value. It may take more than one mention of your project to get it off the ground but I encourage you to go for it, be excited to show your firm the marketing possibilities of blogging.... More +
August 03, 2017 Matthew Schechter California Supreme Court Issues Sharp Reminder About Privacy and Discovery On July 13, 2017, the California Supreme Court issued its opinion in the matter of Williams v. Superior Court . At first glance, the opinion – which holds that an employee who brings a representative action under the Private Attorneys General Act may seek discovery of the names and contact information of other aggrieved employees... More +
July 06, 2017 Amanda Peth [VIDEO] 3 Quick Tips to Maintain Your Firm’s Social Media Presence Law firms and social media? Historically these two probably did not come to mind as an obvious duo. However, now, if you do not have a consistent social media presence, your firm/company is missing out on connecting and building your brand with potential clients, industry leaders and community members in a new and different way. Think of... More +
June 27, 2017 Abimael “AJ” Bastida You Just Took The Bar, Now What? You just took the bar exam. You have survived hundreds of hours of studying. You have wrestled with the multi-day test. Let that sink in. Allow yourself to be proud of that accomplishment.So, what now? For months you have meticulously scheduled every single day - when to wake up, what to eat, when to study, what time to go... More +
May 04, 2017 Brandon Rose Two Sides To The House Of Usher: Useful Tools for Child Support Advocacy Sometimes even a 60 percent drop in income isn’t enough. In In re Marriage of Usher 6 Cal.App.5th 347, the Second District Court of Appeal held that the reduced monthly income of Kinka Usher from approximately $350,000 to $140,141 was not a material change of circumstances justifying a child support reduction from the stipulated... More +
April 20, 2017 Angela Corona Torres Hackers, Keep Out! Hackers are getting more sophisticated each day. It is our job to try and stay a step ahead of them. There is always someone on the outside trying to get in. It is imperative to keep your data secure within your business network. It is just as important to keep your personal data at home secure as well. Imagine you... More +
April 13, 2017 Barbara Reedy Different Courts, Same Principles – What Law Firms Can Learn from the Golden State Warriors I recently attended a Warriors basketball game. The star, Steph Curry, scores in mind-bending ways. Natural ability, hard work, and dedication to the game make him great– but what allows him to be unbelievably great? His team; a collection of unselfish talent all around him – passing, blocking, setting screens,... More +
April 06, 2017 Hilary Weddell [VIDEO] New 2017 Employment Laws Affecting Businesses in California More +
March 30, 2017 Tyler Atkinson California Residential Leases: Ten Things to Know (Part 2) Renting a house or apartment in California presents many potential legal pitfalls for tenants and landlords alike. This article is Part 2 of a two-part series listing ten important rights and responsibilities every residential landlord and renter should know. Part 1 is available online.6. Rent cannot be increased before the lease... More +
March 23, 2017 Tyler Atkinson California Residential Leases: Ten Things to Know (Part 1) Renting a house or apartment in California presents many potential legal pitfalls for tenants and landlords alike. This article is Part 1 of a two-part series listing ten important rights and responsibilities every residential landlord and renter should know. Part 2 will be published next week.1. Disputes may arise even before a lease... More +
March 02, 2017 Matthew Schechter Wage and Hour Compliance: The World of Wage Orders Wage orders are an oft forgotten feature of the employment law landscape, but one which may trip up employers. Employers should take steps to understand what wage order applies to their business, and make sure they are in compliance with the requirements of the applicable order.California’s wage orders are rules created by the... More +
February 23, 2017 Matthew Schechter Wage and Hour Compliance: Off-the-Clock Work Thanks to the wonders of technology, it has become increasingly easier for non-exempt employees to engage in small work-related acts, or to be “on call” for their employer, after they have “clocked out” at the end of a shift. This becomes a problem, however, when such acts or waiting time are deemed to be off-the-clock... More +
February 16, 2017 Michael Warren Wage and Hour Compliance: Practical Tips For Preventing A Preventable Problem Wage and hour litigation continues to pose a threat to employers, especially in California. There are many potential reasons for the persistence of this phenomenon, despite increased awareness of the issue by the business community. Wage and hour is a heavily regulated area of the law. Assuring strict compliance with the multitude... More +
January 26, 2017 James Giacchetti Tactics For Managing Marital Finances During a dissolution of marriage, financial management is essential to avoiding court imposed sanctions. Parties to a dissolution are required to preserve assets until the court has determined respective interests. At times however, some expenses cannot be postponed until after distribution of the marital assets. There are nevertheless methods that... More +
January 12, 2017 Emily Fitzgerald Choreography for the Courtroom - Part Two: The Performance The rehearsals are over and the morning of the big performance has arrived. Emotions are high and the anxiety in the air is thick. It is time to execute what you have been practicing and hope you receive a standing ovation from the crowd, or in this case a judgment in your favor from the judge or jury. Here are a few tips to keep... More +
January 05, 2017 Emily Fitzgerald Choreography for the Courtroom - Part One: The Rehearsals As an actress and dancer, I know how important it is to ensure that the members of your cast know their lines, the choreography and are ready to stay on their toes to compensate for any mistakes that are made during a live performance. These same principles hold true when it comes to presenting a case at trial. The attorney and... More +
December 22, 2016 Hilary Weddell New Year, New Laws: What California Employers Need to Know for 2017 Once again California will ring in the New Year with a number of new laws affecting employers and employees in the Golden State. Much of this new legislation clarifies existing laws to provide guidance to employers or grant additional protections to employees. Below are some of the most notable employment laws that go into effect when... More +
November 24, 2016 Brandon Rose The Short and the Long of It: Proposals for Short Cites to Improve Electronic Research “Marry, this is the short and the long of it.” —Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor, act II, scene 2, line 853Legal authority is fundamental to our trade. California Rules of Court, rule 1.200, requires all case citations in documents filed in California... More +
October 25, 2016 Neda Shakoori Trick Or Treat: Cookies And Consumer Privacy In Online Advertising The proliferation of online goods and services means consumer data is available to those with a need or interest in possessing it. One method providers and third party partners employ to collect online consumer data is the use of cookies. There are many types of cookies, chocolate chip, peanut butter , but all serve the same overall... More +
October 20, 2016 McManis Faulkner How My Cousin Vinny Would Object to Discovery Remember laughing at the antics of Vinny Gambini – a loud inexperienced personal injury lawyer? It is hard not to remember some of Vinny’s inaccurate legal arguments and outrageous remarks to the judge. However, at one point in the movie, cousin Vinny actually demonstrates competent knowledge of the law, only to be shut down... More +
September 15, 2016 Amanda Peth 3 Quick Tips to Help You Maintain Your Firm’s Social Media Presence Law firms and social media? Historically these two probably did not come to mind as an obvious duo. However, now, if you do not have a consistent social media presence, your firm/company is missing out on connecting and building your brand with potential clients, industry leaders and community members in a new and different way.... More +