On October 6, 2021, the American Bar Association issued Formal Opinion 500 addressing language access in the client-lawyer relationship. The Opinion notes: “Communication between a lawyer and a client is necessary for the client to participate effectively in the representation…
Sitting Where You Are Not Licensed
In California and most other jurisdictions, lawyers are allowed to temporarily sit and work in a jurisdiction where they are not licensed pursuant to certain restrictions. See California Rules of Court (CRC) Rule 9.40-9.49.1. However, if a lawyer overstays this…
Conflict of Interest- Informed Written Consent
Conflicts of interest between current clients is an issue that warrants the constant attention of lawyers. The California Rules of Professional Conduct (CRPC) require the lawyer to obtain informed written consent from both clients if the lawyer is representing a…
Remote Work is Here to Stay and Here’s Why it Matters
In many workplaces across the country, lively in-person discussions have been replaced with distant online interactions. Instead of water cooler conversations and lunchroom banter, you now see coworkers bonding via Slack channels and Zoom calls. The shift from office work…
Why Your Law Firm Should Offer Legal Fee Financing to Clients
This article originally appeared on the LawPay blog. What if you could receive your full fee upfront at the beginning of an engagement while still giving your clients the ability to pay in installments? That’s what using an online payment…
What is a Legal Paraprofessional – and How Will it Help Close the Justice Gap?
The California State Bar currently has before it a proposal to license legal paraprofessionals (paralegals, legal document assistants, and unlicensed J.D and L.L. M. holders) to provide legal advice and, in limited instances, represent parties in court. This proposal should…
Lawyer Mobility: Duties to Clients When a Lawyer Leaves a Law Firm
A lawyer’s departure from a law firm can be disruptive to client relationships and representations. Generally, the client in ongoing matters must be given the choice between staying with the firm, going with the departing lawyer who handled the matter,…
Art Law Walk: Legal Issues Related to Works of Art
On November 4, the Art Law Section hosted an Art Law Walk at the Transbay Terminal Approximately 20 people attended an outdoor discussion about legal issues related to works of outdoor public art (e.g., moral rights and the Visual Artists…
Unpublished Opinions in California State Courts: The Devalued Appellate Decisions
The California Supreme Court has the authority to determine which appellate opinions are published as it “deems appropriate” and “may deem expedient.” Cal. Const., art. VI, §14; Cal. Govt. Code §68902. The Supreme Court’s constitutional and legislative authority is…
The New Georgia Project: Fighting Voter Suppression Recap
The Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) hosted The New Georgia Project on Oct. 26, where viewers joined in on a conversation about the relationship between voting and race, and how voting rights are currently under attack. As part of…
Staff Profile: Gaurav Bali
Following Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, we’re featuring a profile of Staff Attorney Gaurav Bali, who has provided immense support to survivors of domestic violence. Bali has been a Domestic Violence Staff Attorney at the Justice and Diversity Center…
The Meet & Confer Letter – Setting Your Attorney Up For Success
You’ve received discovery responses from opposing counsel, so what’s your next step? Since you’re a paralegal extraordinaire, you know that you’ll only have 45 days to file and serve your motion to compel. It’s time to get cracking. If you…