LACBA News

The California Supreme Court is seeking qualified lawyers to represent indigent persons who have been sentenced to death in their direct appeal to the Supreme Court. Per the California Appellate Project- San Francisco, experienced appellate attorneys are encouraged to apply for appointment to these high-stakes cases, which include expert support, flexible scheduling, and competitive compensation.

Following recent headlines where it came to light that the State Bar took no action on matters of serious misconduct, the Bar faced scathing negative publicity and calls for more legislative oversight. As a response to significant media pressure, the State Bar removed the option of imposing non-public discipline on attorneys, which should only be used for low-level misconduct.

Jordan Wold is the new head of Los Angeles Lawyer magazine. As Senior Digital Content Editor, Wold will maintain the publication’s standard for trusted legal journalism. Learn more about Wold and plans for the publication.

Lawyers selecting a jury must do so in an ethical, non-discriminatory manner. Historically, this has been highly problematic and it will face greater complications with recent technical developments of  artificial intelligence software for use in the jury selection process.

In this quarter’s message, Judge Tapia highlights two important initiatives: the 2025–2028 Strategic Plan and the launch of Court Commons, a new civic platform connecting the Court with local communities.

Attorneys are needed for the 22nd Annual Dialogues on Freedom Program, November 13–14 at area schools. Inspire students by sharing perspectives on constitutional freedoms and the role of law in their lives.

Happy retirement to Glenn Benitz, who has served as LACBA’s Director of Finance for close to a decade.

We are proud to honor our 2025 Hispanic Heritage Month honorees: Stephanie Forman, Nina Huerta, Jazmine Ramirez, and Judge Sergio Tapia. Follow LACBA on social media through October 15 to learn more about their accomplishments and contributions to the legal community.

New technology is seductive, and perhaps none more so than artificial intelligence. Each year more and more lawyers succumb to the apparent efficiency and economy of generative AI which, with a minimum of prompts, can produce a legal brief replete with case citations and pithy quotes. And almost weekly, it seems, lawyers are shocked and embarrassed when their cited cases and quotations turn out to be hallucinations...

My favorite story about coming to work for Los Angeles Lawyer in the spring of 2013 relates to the hiring process. It is the only job I have ever held for which I did not apply. One day I received an email from the Los Angeles County Bar Association Human Resources Department asking if I was interested in interviewing for a position as editor.