One result of budget cuts on California court's system is that fewer courtrooms are available in larger counties, hence fewer cases can be tried quickly, despite statutory fast-track mandates.  Trial judges are telling us that, depending on the county, cases probably will not begin trial for at least four years after they are filed.

The California Supreme Court held in a recent opinion that non-settling defendants in a medical malpractice action cannot allocate non-economic damages to settling co-defendants absent a finding of comparative fault.  But can plaintiff lawyers use this rationale to circumvent the MICRA cap on non-economic damage claims?  Click here to read more.

Alternative Dispute Resolution is preferable to traditional litigation for many reasons, not the least of which is that the parties get to choose their forum and method of resolving their conflict.  This month's articles feature two effective ADR methods: arbitration and mediation.

Arbitration: Even when an arbitrator errs procedurally, the award may be upheld if overwhelming evidence exists to support the award. Click here to read more.

Mediation:  Mediation encourages candid and purposeful communication, and it can preserve ongoing business relationships.   Click here to read more.

Courts in California and Nevada have issued judicial opinions  recently in a variety of  matters which may affect our clients' interests.  Click here to read more.