It is important for lawyers to have a solid understanding of their ethical responsibilities when managing and supervising nonlawyer assistants involved in the client intake process. Recently, the American Bar Association issued Formal Opinion 506, which addresses this topic.
Currently in California state court the jurisdictional limit for a limited civil case is $25,000 or less. As some of you may know, in a limited jurisdiction case discovery and other pre-trial tools are limited. For example, only one deposition is allowed. Courts presiding over limited actions have no authority to award a judgment in excess of $25,000. (Ytuarte v. Superior Court (2005) 129 Cal. App. 4th 266).
Dear NLD members,
I’m excited to be writing this message as a co-chair of the NLD Community Outreach subcommittee of the New Lawyer Division (NLD) Executive Committee, with Claudia Salinas. If you’re not familiar, the Community Outreach team coordinates pro bono and volunteer events for new lawyers and law students across San Diego County.
On the fourth floor of San Diego Superior Court’s North County Division is department N-31 of which Judge Blaine Bowman presides. Judge Bowman operates a “stress free trial department” as much as possible. He is supportive of all lawyers who come to his court, but he especially enjoys helping new lawyers appearing in his department. If you’re in trial before Judge Bowman and have a question, asking for help is not something he frowns upon.
