SCAN: News and resources for Southern California appellate lawyers, featuring the Second and Fourth District Courts of Appeal and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
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The NYT (specifically The Docket , Adam Liptak's newsletter) has A Few Expert Lawyers Dominate Supreme Court Arguments, a New Study Finds -- Chief Justice Roberts, once such a lawyer, has said he has mixed feelings about the trend. Chief Justice John Roberts has said that he sometimes misses the old days, when “the sole practitioner with the battered briefcase” would arrive in Washington from far…
The Recorder has Calif. Commission Confirms 4 State Appeals Court Justices -- Among those confirmed Thursday was David Sapp, Gov. Gavin Newsom's legal affairs secretary. Sapp was one of four court of appeal selections endorsed unanimously by the commission on Wednesday. The governor has moved quickly in recent months to fill the remaining vacancies on California’s mid-level courts before he leaves…
Proposed FRAP Amendments are here -- relating to service and electronic filing by self-represented litigants. Comments due Feb. 15, 2027.
The Commission on Judicial Appointments will hold in-person hearings in San Francisco on August 19th and 20th to consider two appointments to the Second District Court of Appeal by Governor Gavin Newsom. The commission will consider the following 2DCA appointment on Wednesday, August 19, 2026: 4:00 p.m.: Judge Denise Hippach, as associate justice of the Second Appellate District, Division Six…
In Law360, Josh Patashnik of Ashurst Perkins has Calif. Justices' Ruling Reshapes Midcase Appeal Strategy -- The California Supreme Court's unanimous July 16 decision in Maniago v. Desert Cardiology Consultants' Medical Group Inc. resolves a long-running split among intermediate appellate courts in the state and delivers a clear message to civil litigators: A voluntary dismissal cannot be used as…
The following are currently sitting on assignment in the 2d District: Judge Melanie P. Ochoa of the Los Angeles County Superior Court will be sitting Pro Tem in Division Three through August 31, 2026 Judge Curtis E.A. Karnow (Retired) of the San Francisco County Superior Court will be sitting Pro Tem in Division Three through September 22, Judge Vicki Ashworth (Retired) of the El Dorado County…
4/3 imposes $5K in sanctions for a frivolous writ petition here . When attorneys make misleading statements to courts or fail to promptly update courts when new facts emerge that are relevant to a matter under consideration, courts unnecessarily expend resources assessing issues under false premises. And only when counsel’s zealous advocacy is exercised consistent with counsel’s duty of candor to…
The Commission on Judicial Appointments will hold in-person hearings in San Francisco on Aug. 19 starting at 1 p.m. and on Aug. 20 starting at 9:30 a.m. to consider eight appointments by Gov. Gavin Newsom. View the live webcasts for August 19 and August 20 . The commission will consider the following appointments on Aug. 19 : 1 p.m.: David Sapp, as associate justice of the Third Appellate District…
The Commission on Judicial Appointments will hold a public hearing in San Francisco on Wednesday, August 19 , 2026, beginning at 3:00 p.m. to consider Governor Gavin Newsom's appointment of Judge Frederick S. Chung as Associate Justice of the Sixth District Court of Appeal.
The DJ has Justice Marsha Slough, 1958 -- 2026: Retired 4th District Court of Appeal justice was "blue-collar" jurist, led court through pandemic Retired Justice Marsha G. Slough, whose two decades on the California bench took her from working directly with troubled teenagers in San Bernardino County to helping lead the state judiciary through the COVID-19 pandemic, died Saturday following an…