Frank and Louise Gomez’s love story sounds like something out of Hollywood. He proposed, she accepted. Yet before they could marry, Frank gets called up to go to war. Fearing that he may not return from Korea, Frank calls off…
Adjust and Grow: The Paralegal Section’s Strategy on Succeeding During Uncertain Times
It’s hard to believe the fall season has arrived as many of us are still learning how to navigate this new reality imposed on us by COVID-19. Since March, when the shelter-in-place orders were first issued, local courts have implemented…
Location, Location, Location: Unauthorized Practice of Law in California
Thanks to advances in technology, lawyers around the country are able to represent their clients remotely, no matter where the lawyers physically shelter-in-place. Unfortunately, the rules and laws governing the unauthorized practice of law (UPL) and multi-jurisdictional practice (MJP) are…
Trustee Has Consumer Credit Protections
After her sister Lou died, it fell to Maxine Gilliam to take care of her niece. Maxine became the successor trustee and took on the most rigorous fiduciary duties known to the law. The vast responsibilities of the job included…
Listen to Dolly: Get Your Empire in Order
We may always love her—but Dolly Parton is preparing for a world without her in it. At 74, the seemingly immortal country icon may be more popular than at any time in her 50-plus-year career, appearing everywhere from inspiring pandemic…
Beware Private Uncertified Referral Companies
You get a call from a person working for a company that promises you that they are looking for three lawyers practicing in your field of emphasis in the Bay Area and that, if you sign up now for a…
Greedy Nephew Loses With Last Minute Power of Attorney for Life Insurance
A routine doctor’s appointment started it all for the family. During an exam, Ray Razo was told he had a serious condition and sent directly to a hospital for emergency tests. They learned he had the unthinkable: stage 4 pancreatic…
Protect Your Assets from Untrustworthy Trustees
The five children whose fathers died in a 2008 explosion at the Imperial Sugar Refinery in Port Wentworth, Pennsylvania suffered the grief of losing a parent. Sacked Chatham County Probate Court clerk Kim Birge added financial salt to their emotional…
Judicial Ethics and Independence Must Guide Judges’ Responses to Racial Injustice
Judge Noël Wise, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Monica F. Wiley, San Francisco County Superior Court In California the judge’s Oath of Office begins, “I solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and…
Silent No More: Court Reporters Speak Up for the Record
Most attorneys understand what court reporters do, treat them with respect, know how to make a good record, don’t speak too fast, and appreciate reporters who interrupt for clarification of the record. However, some attorneys conduct depositions at supersonic speeds…
School Choice When Schools Are Closed?
As I write, the unprecedented 2019-2020 school year limps to an anti-climactic close for California’s K-12 students due to COVID-19. Parents are left wondering whether school will resume in-person in the Fall, and if so, will it be safe to…
Co-Parenting During a Pandemic
The Bay Area issued its first Shelter-in-Place (SIP) orders effective March 16, 2020. San Francisco Superior Court, and other Bay Area courts, responded swiftly with its first orders regarding operations during the SIP. The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts…