What is the difference between the passive and active voice in writing? In active voice, the subject of the clause or sentence does the acting. In passive voice, the subject does not perform the action of the verb. Instead, the…
LRIS Panel Attorneys Give Pro Bono Advice to Veterans
Thanks to the three attorneys who gave free legal advice and referrals to veterans at an event on October 28. The attorneys, Joseph Lepera, Lepera & Associates; solo attorney Roger Rubin, and Kent Kirmaci, Law Offices of Kent Kirmaci, are…
Be A Tax Document Hoarder
However mundane, documents are key to reducing your firm’s taxable income. Be ready to claim every allowable expense at tax time, and respond to a tax inquiry later. Why be a hoarder First, taxpayers have the burden of proving deductions…
The San Francisco Law Library is Ready to Help You
The San Francisco Law Library wants to offer a reminder to San Francisco attorneys and firms about the Library’s extensive services and databases available to support their legal research needs, especially now that the Mills Law Library and Boalt Express…
Famed Legacy Business Fights to Stay in San Francisco with Help of LRIS Panel Attorney, Sal Timpano
These days in San Francisco, the topic of ever increasing rent garners headlines. Those headlines often relate to the housing market and soaring commercial rent is also changing the city’s neighborhoods for good. Case in point is Carlos Navarro’s Academy…
Legal Writing Tip: And Now, a Few Words from the Bench
Three, relatively recent appointees to the First District Court of Appeals discussed their experiences serving on the court, described their decision-making processes, and shared their thoughts on crafting stronger, more persuasive briefs at a luncheon sponsored by BASF’s Appellate Section…
Simple Ways to Obtain Discovery Pre-Litigation
As a small law firm, time and resources are always a limiting factor, thus obtaining discovery before litigation is essential. The use of the California Public Records Act (CPRA) and the California Labor Code can be valuable resources in this…
Legal Writing Tip: Strive for Clean, Uncluttered Sentences
A well-structured sentence wastes no words. Craft a tidy sentence by placing the actor first, the action second, and the object of the action third. Consider the sentence, “It is possible for the court to modify the judgment.” The actor is…
Trent Thornley: Probate Attorney and Buddhist Chaplain
The confluence of religious studies and the practice of law may seem an unlikely pairing, but for Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) Probate Panel attorney Trent Thornley, they are a perfect match. As an undergraduate at Indiana University, Thornley…
Legal Writing Tip: Keep Deleting the Unnecessary
Eliminating verbiage is so essential to writing effectively, the task warrants further attention. Legal writing guru Bryan Garner is fond of quoting the late Judge David Bazelon of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on…
California’s Lawyer Referral Service Client Privilege and the ABA’s LRS-Client Privilege Resolution
The ABA’s Standing Committee on Lawyer Referral Services is co-sponsoring a resolution to urge legislatures to enact and courts to recognize a privilege to protect the confidentiality of the tens of thousands of conversations that occur every day between prospective…
10 Rules for Great Marketing Writing
Thank you to Knox Design Strategy and Repechage Group for permission to repost the 10 Rules for Great Marketing Writing. Click on the image below to download a pdf version.