Author: San Diego County Bar Association
By Charles H. Dick
Most civil disputes will be resolved before trial,1 and mediation has become one of the most important phases of every lawsuit. Even so, the informality of mediation induces many less-experienced litigators to take a casual attitude toward the process. Too often, lawyers approach mediation as if it were the easiest phase of a lawsuit; this is serious mistake. If pleadings, discovery and motion practice warrant hours of planning, thought and effort, why treat mediation any differently? Read More
Suppose you have a client who is dedicated to making litigation as difficult as possible for plaintiff through every conceivable procedural device whether proper or not; and who instructs you to not only increase the expense of litigation for plaintiff but also to delay, delay, delay?
By Adriana Linares
Most of us enjoy our social media accounts as a way to keep an eye on family, friends, hobbies, and passions. For many of us, they are also an important business asset. Read More
Your former client, Julius, has been badly injured in a car accident and needs a lawyer. Since personal injury law is not your practice area, you contemplate where to refer Julius. As you open your mail, you note the interest on your student loans is greatly increasing your debt obligations. You ask yourself – what if I collected a referral fee?
A recent State Bar Court discipline opinion underscores that we, lawyers, should take a court’s order seriously — very seriously — at our peril. The facts of the case drive the point.
