In the intricate landscape of legal disputes, pro se/pro per plaintiffs—individuals representing themselves without legal counsel—pose unique challenges for defendants. As a preliminary note, self-represented plaintiffs are referred to as “pro se” plaintiffs in federal court and “pro per” plaintiffs in state court. During the course of this post, the term “pro se plaintiffs” will
After two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, things are looking optimistic in California. Covid case numbers and hospitalizations are declining and mask requirements are loosening. For many, myself included, this is great news and a much needed “return to normal.” At the same time, however, the pandemic brought some changes to our lives that we
Non-employees may be able to sue employers for COVID-19 infections that can be traced to the employer’s workplace. A recent California Court of Appeal decision may pave the way for third parties to collect compensation from employers due to COVID-19 infections.
A California Court of Appeal recently allowed a cause of action brought by an
On January 27, 2022, the California Supreme Court unanimously decided that the McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting analysis that is widely used to determine whether an employment discrimination or retaliation case should be dismissed before trial does not apply to whistleblower retaliation claims brought under California Labor Code section 1102.5. As a result, employers will face a
This article was originally published in October 2020. The information has been reviewed and is up-to-date as of November 2021. Though the state of California is now opening up increasingly due to improving pandemic numbers, the details included in this blog continue to serve as helpful tips during this time.
I moved to Los Angeles
This article was reviewed March 2021 and is up-to-date.
Many times, parties to a lawsuit receive trial court rulings in the midst of the litigation that are unfavorable, oppressive, and seem to them to be demonstrably wrong. The parties want to appeal immediately, but their counsel will say that cannot happen, citing the “Final Judgment
Last month, the Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District of California issued a decision in Pico Neighborhood Association, et al v. City of Santa Monica (Jul. 9, 2020, No. B295935) __ Cal.App.3d __ [2020 WL 3866741] (“Pico”), finding that the City of Santa Monica’s at-large voting system did not violate the