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Northern California Rapid Immigration Response Network Survey

In anticipation of increased enforcement actions by the current administration, a Northern California Rapid Immigration Response Network has been created and has been taking steps to prepare our legal community. Members of this network include the ACLU, AILA, NLG, the Justice & Diversity Center…

San Francisco Superior Court Launches Pilot Judicial Settlement Program to Settle Larger, High-Exposure Cases

The San Francisco Superior Court is offering litigants a new Judicial Settlement Conference (JSC) program aimed at cases with an estimated 20 or more trial days, Presiding Judge Teri L. Jackson announced today. Presiding Judge Jackson has selected Judge Angela…

San Francisco Superior Court Launches Pilot Judicial Settlement Program to Settle Larger, High-Exposure Cases

Risk Management Tip: Retainer Agreements Manage Client Expectations

In the competition to land a case it is tempting to overstate the value of a claim, or understate the cost of litigation, setting client expectations at an unrealistic level. Some attorneys fear that being up front about potential case…

Justice & Diversity Center Adds Immigration Legal Defense Work to its Program Lineup

In the last three years, there has been rapid growth to the Immigrant Legal Defense Program which moved under the Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) umbrella in February of this year. It was previously run by the Lawyer Referral…

Legal Writing Tip: Statement of Facts, Part Two

When writing the statement of facts, choose your material wisely, set it forth clearly, and end it with a kick. Many judges consider a brief’s statement of facts to be the most important section, or at least as important as…

Client Service Strategies for Paralegals

When working directly with clients, it is important to develop and maintain client service strategies to ensure their satisfaction with your firm. Achieving client satisfaction through client service does not require an expensive program or subscription. It’s free and can…

The Reality is You Can’t Always Get What You Want

Fans of The Real Housewives of Atlanta know that lawyer/mortician Phaedra Parks, whose show tagline is “you can’t always get what you want, but I can,” is used to winning her cases. Parks and her husband, Apollo Nida, have an…

The Ethics of Facebook Friending

Facebook can be a gold mine of information about litigants and witnesses. A personal injury plaintiff alleging debilitating leg injuries may post photos of her latest hiking trip. A defendant in a wrongful discharge case may make discriminatory remarks.…