Recent Posts
Thought Leadership
Ethics and mediation: Communication, honesty and strategic preparation
June 12, 2026 - In a prior column on mediation ethics, I identified four core du- ties that are essential for attor- neys in civil mediation. They are providing...
Thought Leadership
Deja vu: Lawyer’s mistakes might mean retrying the same PI case
June 09, 2026 - W hat could be worse than going through a lengthy, complicated personal injury trial? How about going through it a second time? That can h...
Thought Leadership
Mediating trucking claims after Montgomery
June 08, 2026 - O n May 14, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that large freight brokers can be sued for negligently hiring unsafe motor carriers. In its una...
Thought Leadership
Pre-mediation discovery: Get key cards on the table
May 29, 2026 - Most garden-variety per- sonal injury cases can safely proceed to medi- ation following routine written discovery and a handful of non-exper...
Thought Leadership
Daily Journal Profile: Prepared to Persist
May 29, 2026 - Prepared to Persist After nearly 30 years in alternative dispute resolution, mediator Anne Lawlor Goyette says preparation, persistence and flexibi...
Thought Leadership
Daily Journal Profile: Retired judge Eddie Sturgeon emphasizes preparation, listening in mediation practice
May 22, 2026 - Retired judge Eddie Sturgeon emphasizes preparation, listening in mediation practice Former San Diego judge Eddie C. Sturgeon says empathy, flexi...
Thought Leadership
Mediating Tenant vs. Landlord Disputes: Finding the Middle Floor
May 13, 2026 - The landlord was convinced she had done everything a prudent landlord should have done to address the rodent infestation, bringing in a pest reme...
Thought Leadership
Cutting the Cost of Complex Disputes with Special Masters
May 11, 2026 - Shutterstock W hat if you could reduce the time it takes to get a case to disposition, either by way of settle- ment, motion or trial? What...
Thought Leadership
Real Property Claims: Buyers Beware
May 08, 2026 - Real property claims: Buyers beware You thought you bought your dream home until an unpermitted garage bay triggers a $75,000 surprise. In California,...
Thought Leadership
Objection: Assumes facts not in evidence
May 01, 2026 - Shutterstock Many words have spe- cific connotations, but direct translations can strip away cultural con- text, leading to a mistaken reading o...
Thought Leadership
Association Disability Cases: A Trilogy Signals Consensus?
April 23, 2026 - Reprinted with permission of the California Lawyers Association and the California Labor & Employment Law Review....
Thought Leadership
Mediation Lessons from Mr. Rogers: What Lawyers can Relearn
April 17, 2026 - Shutterstoc In a September 2024 Gallup poll, a record-high 80% of adults said they believed Americans were “greatly divided” on the most im...