In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with a Coast Guard reservist and federal air traffic controller who served active duty “during” a national emergency—and held that yes, he’s owed differential pay. The federal government tried to argue that his service needed a direct link
When is a waiver too broad? In Diamond v. Schweitzer Motorsports, the Fifth Appellate District reminded us that "related to the event" can stretch surprisingly far. After a raceway brawl left a man with a fractured skull, he sued the venue for failing to protect him. But the
In Rayant v. Marino, the Second Appellate District reinforced California's strong presumption of open court records. After a civil harassment restraining order was issued (and later dismissed), the defendant asked to seal the entire court file, citing reputational harm and TSA headaches. But the court wasn’t buying
As wearable tech like smartwatches and fitness trackers collect mountains of personal health data, personal injury litigation is moving into new, digital territory. In lawsuits where health or activity levels are key issues, data from a plaintiff’s or defendant’s device could make or break a case. But courts
In New England Country Foods v. VanLaw Food Products, the California Supreme Court answered a certified question from the Ninth Circuit, holding that contract clauses limiting liability for intentionally inflicted harm are invalid under Civil Code §1668. After VanLaw allegedly poached Trader Joe's as a client by cloning
In a clear endorsement of the hot-pursuit exception, the Ninth Circuit upheld summary judgment in favor of San Bernardino County deputies who entered a private home without a warrant while chasing a fleeing felony suspect. The court found that deputies had probable cause to believe the suspect—who had evaded
In Monsalvo Velázquez v. Garland, the Supreme Court reversed the Tenth Circuit and clarified a deceptively simple question: What happens when a statutory deadline falls on a weekend? The Court held that under 8 U.S.C. §1229c(b)(2), a voluntary departure deadline that lands on a Saturday, Sunday,
In People v. Hinojos, the Second Appellate District upheld a trial court’s decision to block a defense peremptory challenge under California Code of Civil Procedure §231.7, California’s expansion of Batson-style protections. Defense counsel had attempted to strike Juror No. 10, who appeared White or Hispanic, citing a
In Odom v. Los Angeles Community College District, the Second Appellate District reversed a $10 million jury verdict and remanded for a new trial after finding the trial court's evidentiary rulings were arbitrary, prejudicial, and unmoored from the Evidence Code. The trial judge admitted inflammatory “me-too” testimony from
In a major blow to forced arbitration tactics, the Ninth Circuit affirmed that JustAnswer LLC couldn’t compel users to arbitrate claims because its Terms of Service weren’t clearly presented. Plaintiffs, who thought they were paying a one-time fee for expert Q&As, were unknowingly enrolled in recurring
Panel vacates lower court's dismissal of parent complaint regarding school district preferred pronoun policy, alleging substantive and procedural due process violationsThe Ninth Circuit vacated the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by Aurora Regino, who claimed that a California school district violated her due process rights by not informing
Financial advisory firm owes no duty to non-customers to warn of third party's fraudulent conduct.The Fourth Appellate District affirmed summary judgment for Lifetime Financial, Inc., holding the firm had no legal duty to warn non-customers about an imposter posing as one of its advisors. Mark Harding lost