As we have mentioned in the past, Harris v. Superior Court, S156555 and Brinker Restaurant v. Superior Court, S166359, were among the oldest cases on the Supreme Court’s docket (review having been granted in 2007 and 2008, respectively).  But now that those cases have been argued, what is the oldest fully-briefed civil case pending on [...]

When we last discussed California’s troubled Court Case Management System, or CCMS, implementation of the over-budget project had been put on hold due to the steep cuts the Legislature has imposed on the judicial branch’s budget.  But since then, as discussed here, biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong has offered to provide $20 million to fund the [...]

In its conference on Tuesday, November 22, 2011, the Court granted no petitions for review in civil cases, no petitions were denied with dissenting justices, and no opinions were ordered published or depublished.

In a recent article in the Daily Journal [subscription required], Laura Ernde reports that the Court’s newest justice, Goodwin Liu, is seeking recent law school graduates to serve as law clerks to fill at least two of the five attorney positions on his staff.  The planned clerkships are expected to last 18 months to two [...]

As noted in this article by Cheryl Miller in The Recorder, the Supreme Court granted review last week in its first moral character case in 11 years to determine whether Stephen Glass is fit to practice law in California.  You may recall Glass as the journalist for The New Republic whose meteoric career came to [...]

The following is our summary of the Supreme Court’s actions on petitions for review in civil cases from the Court’s conference on Wednesday, November 16, 2011.  The summary includes those civil cases in which (1) review has been granted (not including grant-and-transfers), (2) review has been denied but one or more justices has voted for [...]

The Supreme Court issued its decision in Perry v. Brown, S189476, today, answering the Ninth Circuit’s certified question.  As we anticipated, the Court, in an opinion authored by the Chief Justice, held the proponents of Prop 8 do have standing under California law to litigate the ballot measure’s constitutionality:  “In a postelection challenge to a [...]

According to this notice, the Supreme Court will issue its decision in Perry v. Brown, S189476, the Prop 8 case, tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.  This proceeding arises from the federal constitutional challenge to Proposition 8, which outlawed gay marriage in California.  Pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 8.548, the Court granted the Ninth Circuit’s [...]

When the Supreme Court hears oral arguments next month in Los Angeles, it will have been six months since the court last sat in the Southland.  But the justices won’t be sticking around for long.  They will hear five cases all on one day — December 6.  Then they will be gone until April. The cases [...]

Kim Kralowec at The UCL Practitioner has alerted us to the fact that YouTube has a channel devoted to the California courts.  It provides video content produced by, or in partnership with, the Administrative Office of the Courts.  Among the video content available are speeches by the Chief Justice, Judicial Council meeting highlights, judicial confirmation [...]

As expected, the California Supreme Court held oral argument on November 8, 2011 in Brinker Restaurant Corp. v. Superior Court.  In this high profile case, the Court is set to address questions concerning the interpretation of California statutes and regulations governing meal and rest breaks.  As we anticipated, the California Channel broadcast the Brinker oral [...]

The Court is holding no conference this week because it is hearing oral argument in San Francisco.  Accordingly, this week no action will be taken on petitions for review and no opinions will be ordered published or depublished.

In July, we listed some of the important cases we’re watching.  On that list were Brinker Restaurant Corp. v. Superior Court, S166350, and O’Neil v. Crane Co., S177401.  Since then, we also have been watching California Redevelopment Assn. v. Matosantos, S194861.  All three of these cases will be argued this week in San Francisco, and [...]

In its conference on Wednesday, November 2, 2011, the Court granted no petitions for review in civil cases, no petitions were denied with dissenting justices, and no opinions were ordered published or depublished.

The National Association for the Advancement of Multijurisdiction Practice (NAAMJP) is a group of lawyers licensed to practice in other states who wish to practice law in California without passing the difficult California Bar Exam.  As discussed in this article, the NAAMJP recently has sued the Supreme Court and its individual justices in the U.S. [...]

As we recently mentioned, the Court issued no opinions for a considerable period after late August.  This was due to the fact that, as usual, the Court heard no arguments in July or August.  As a result, no cases were in the pipeline for a while.  Well, the Court ended that streak at 62 days [...]