September 2008

"BENCH/BAR"

• THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY COURT SCHOLARSHIP FUND
• UPDATE FROM THE PRESIDING JUDGE - Honorable Terence L. Bruiniers
• PROPOSED OPERATIONAL PLAN OBJECTIVES FOR 2008-2011
• 2008 IN REVIEW - Honorable Mary Ann O'Malley
• CIVIL FAST TRACK CONSTANTLY EVOLVING - Honorable David B. Flinn
• THE STORY IS STILL TORRE! - Honorable Terence L. Bruiniers
• IT HAS BEEN A BUSY YEAR IN FAMILY LAW - Honorable Barry P. Goode
• COURT REPORT -  Honorable Lois Haight and Honorable William Kolin
• FAMILY LAW INMATE OUTREACH PROGRAMS - Mary Ann Devine, Family Law Facilitator
• NEW DIRECTOR OF LIBRARY SERVICES CAREY ROWAN - Honorable Susanne Fenstermacher
• INSIDE - Ken Torre
• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - Robin Pearson
• QUESTION MAN - HOW DO YOU THINK UTAH'S FOUR-DAY WORKWEEK WOULD WORK IN CALIFORNIA?
• CLASSIFIEDS

August 2008

"EMPLOYMENT LAW"

• AN EMPLOYER'S PERSPECTIVE ON SEVERANCE AGREEMENTS
  Pros and cons, as well as technical mistakes are discussed. - Harry M. DeCourcy
• THE CALIFORNIA FAMILY RIGHTS ACT AT AGE 17
  The author delves into the state of this teenage law. -  Dale Brodsky
• DEDUCTING ATTORNEY FEES
  The author helps us "connect the dots" in the event the IRS comes a calling! - Mark Ericsson
• A CONFLICT OF INTEREST
  A heartwarming tale of an attorney's family history. -Thomas William Cain
• EMPLOYER BLOGGING/MESSAGE BOARDING POLICY.  DOES YOUR CLIENT HAVE ONE?
  A must-read for today's workplaces - Delia Isvoranu
• INSIDE - Harvey Sohnen
• QUESTION MAN What change in the law would you most like to see in the workplace?
• 2008 SUSTAINING LAW FIRMS
• CLASSIFIEDS

July 2008

"LITIGATION"

• IN MEMORIAM JOHN ZANDONELLA 
• HOW TO GET THE BEST RESULTS ON YOUR DISCOVERY MOTION IN DEPARTMENT 60
  A litigation attorney outlines vital information that should benefit every practitioner. - Jay Chafetz
• LITIGATORS AND TRIAL LAWYERS
  THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD
  Have you noticed a rather low occurrence of trials lately?  Read this article to understand why. -  Matthew P. Guichard
• BALANCING THE COST OF AN EXPERT WITH OBTAINING THE NECESSARY INFORMATION
  Retaining a qualified expert can be expensive.  How do you keep costs reasonable without compromising your case?  The author shares some important tips. - Vahishta Falahati
• ALERT! FOR THOSE DEDUCTING OVER $60,000 IN MORTGAGE INTEREST ON THEIR FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURNS
  Many people think they are allowed to deduct their entire amount of mortgage interest...well, think again!  The author points out the intricacies of the mortgage interest deduction. -Mark Ericsson
• STRIPPING LIENS
  The author discusses a viable option for property owners to retain their homes in this market rather than having to walk away. - Marlene G. Weinstein
• THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ROBERT G. McGRATH AMERICAN INN OF COURT - Matthew P. Guichard
• INSIDE - Craig Nevin
• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - Robin Pearson
• NEW MEMBERS
• 2008 SUSTAINING LAW FIRMS
• LOCAL CIVIL JURY VERDICTS - Matthew P. Guichard
• QUESTION MAN What do you do to relieve the stress of litigation?
• CLASSIFIEDS

June 2008

"SUMMER READING"

• THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT LIFE CYCLE
  A "how to" that spans the process of picking a client and writing the fee agreement through ending the representation and closing your file. - Jerome Fishkin and Lindsay Kohut Slatter
• EMOTIONAL DISTRESS DAMAGES IN MEDIATIONS
  A DIFFERENT TIME, A DIFFERENT PLACE
  Get inside information from one of Contra Costa's esteemed retired judges. - Judge Richard S. Flier (ret.)
• FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE JURY BOX
  A criminal defense attorney shares her experience as an alternate juror. -  Amanda Bevins
• MEMORIAL UPDATE
  Lafayette resolves their sign ordinance issue. - Sharon Adams
• JFKU SCHOOL OF LAW
  A VALUABLE RESOURCE - Audrey Smith
• INSIDE - Candice Stoddard
• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - Robin Pearson
• CALL FOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS' NOMINATIONS!
• LIFESTYLE BOOK REVIEWS - Helen Peters and Andrea O'Toole
• WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE REFERRALS TO CCCBA'S LRIS
• QUESTION MAN What book do you recommend for summer reading?
• CLASSIFIEDS

May 2008

"REAL ESTATE"

• CALIFORNIA FORECLOSURES
  UP, UP AND AWAY The topic du jour, this article reveals the latest stats. - Glenn Wechsler
• SUBPRIME PROBLEMS SPILL OVER TO COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
  A brief overview of SARE and suggested strategies for both creditors and debtors. - Peter C. Califano
• RESCISSION A BUYER'S POST-CLOSING REMEDY IN A DECLINING MARKET When does a buyer have the legal right to rescind or reverse the transaction and recover its purchase money and rescission damages? -  Michael K. Brown and Katherine Wenger.
• IN SEARCH OF TRUTH IN LENDING A summary of how the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) impacts consumer credit legislation. - Alan E. Ramos
• DEVELOPMENTS IN CALIFORNIA EASEMENT LAW Recent easement cases are discussed. - Kenneth R. Styles
• INSIDE - James A. Melino
• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - Robin Pearson
• SUPERIOR COURT JUDICIAL PROFILE  Judge John T. Laettner
• QUESTION MAN How have you been able to help people impacted by the current mortgage crisis?
• PRO BONO SPOTLIGHT Maeve Elise Brown
• NEW MEMBERS
• CLASSIFIEDS

April 2008

"LAW PRACTICE MANAGEMENT"

• START HERE
  From office equipment to tips on going to court...everything a solo or small firm needs to know to run an effective practice. -
  David Pearson, Geoffrey Steele, Mark Ericsson, David Pastor, Craig Nevin, Ken Strongman, Wayne Smith, George Cabot, Dave Dacus, John Barnard and the County Court staff
• SHOULD YOU BE PAYING OVERTIME?
  Who is considered to be an employee?  What is the appropriate overtime rate?  What records must be kept?  These and many more questions are addressed. - Original by Harvey Sohnen and Patricia M. Kelly, updated by Nancy Balles
• PERSONAL EXPERIENCES Three attorneys share their journeys over the past decade. -  Tammy-lyn Gallerani, Joseph H. Wolch and Richard A. Madsen, Jr.
• WHAT 5th GRADERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CCCBA'S COURT TOURS PROGRAM - From a Martinez 5th grade class following a court tour given by Scott Jenny and Lisa Reep.
• INSIDE - David Pearson
• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - Robin Pearson
• QUESTION MAN What technology could you not live without in your office?
• NEW MEMBERS
• LOCAL CIVIL JURY VERDICTS - Matthew P. Guichard
• CLASSIFIEDS

"ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION"

• BINDING ARBITRATION BE CAREFUL WHAT YOUR WISH FOR  -  Gary A. Watt
• MAKING THE MOST OF MEDIATION A summary of eight attributes that great mediators share. - Ron Mullin
• THE JOINT SESSION The value of the joint session and how it could help you settle your next case.- Wayne V. R. Smith
• RECOGNIZING AND VALIDATING DIVERSITY IN MEDIATION Different people bring different experiences, references and understandings to the table. - Malcolm Sher
• FOOD FROM THE BAR 2008 - Ed Shaffer
• PHOTOS FROM JANUARY'S CCCBA OFFICER INSTALLATION
• DOING THE MONEY DANCE How you "make your moves" is vital to the success or failure of your mediation.  - Jessica Notini
• AVOIDING THE PITFALLS OF MEDIATION CONFIDENTIALITY - Paul Dubow
• BAR FUND UPDATE
• INSIDE - Nicole Mills
• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - Robin Pearson
• COURT STREET CONTRA COSTA COUNTY ADR OPTIONS - Magda Lopez and Mimi Lyster
• QUESTION MAN What's the most surprising thing that ever happened in a mediation?
• ROBERT G. McGRATH AMERICAN INN OF COURT - Hon. Joyce Cram
• LIFESTYLE  E. J. PHAIR ALEHOUSE - Restaurant Review - Andrea O'Toole
• CLASSIFIEDS

"FAMILY LAW"

• REPORT ON THE FAMILY LAW DIVISION
  The Supervising Judge of Family Law summarizes the major changes for 2008.  -  Hon. Barry P. Goode
• A PROMISING PARTNERSHIP
  EastBay Works and the Court:  A Unique Joint Venture - Commissioner Josanna Berkow and Susie O'Bryant
• DIVORCE IN THE DARK AGES (OR...WHEN I STARTED OUT) - M. Sue Talia
• THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN! 
  More survey results. - Kathy Schofield
• THE LIGHTER SIDE OF JIM LIBBEY
  As the court prepares for the longest sitting family law judge in the state to retire, the author chronicles his life on the bench and bids him farewell. - Steve Hallert
• INSIDE - Andy Ross
• LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - David M. Lederman
• BENCH TALK CONVERSION OF SJOs - Hon. Terence L. Bruiniers
• QUESTION MAN What's your most amazing family law story?
• LIFESTYLE  Getting a Winning Verdict in My Personal Life - a book review by Andrea O'Toole
• NEW MEMBERS
• CLASSIFIEDS

"ANNUAL BAR ISSUE"

• MEET YOUR BAR ASSOCIATION'S NEW BOARD MEMBERS
• THE RESULTS OF THE CCCBA SURVEY ARE IN!
• 2008 JUDICIAL ASSIGNMENTS AND HOLIDAYS
• YOUR CCCBA MEMBERSHIP TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EVERYTHING WE HAVE TO OFFER! - Lisa Reep
• MERCHANT DISCOUNT PROGRAM
• MEET YOUR 2008 PRESIDENT ROBIN PEARSON - An interview by Candice Stoddard
• 2007 YEAR-END FINANCIAL REPORT
• WHY MEMBERSHIP ON THE LRIS MAKES GOOD BUSINESS SENSE!
• MEET YOUR SECTIONS
• INSIDE - Harvey Sohnen
• CCCBA 2008 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE CONTINUES
• QUESTION MAN What was the most gratifying thing that happened to you in 2007?
• GET TO KNOW YOUR LOCAL JUDGES!
• CLASSIFIEDS

"READERS' CHOICE"

• THE BIG DADDY OF CIVIL RIGHTS (UNRUH ACT) NEARS 50 YEARS Was Jess Unruh an enigma or paradigm? The author tells the real story. - Edmund L. Regalia
• PRE-EMPLOYMENT SCREENING THE LIABILITY IN A MISGUIDED PROCESS Read why the author feels that failure to properly screen employees is the single largest mistake made by corporate America today.. - Michael F. Framé
• RECAP OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE RONALD M. GEORGE PRO BONO AWARDS GALA
• SHERIFF'S SALE OF REAL PROPERTY TO ENFORCE MONEY JUDGMENTS An outline of the process by which a money judgment is enforced through a levy on and sale of real property.- Kevin Eikenberry
• THE EMPTY BENCH  In a continuing saga, Judge Carlton now confronts mental health.. - Justice James J. Marchiano
• INSIDE - Harvey Sohnen
• CCCBA 2008 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE CONTINUES
• THE CONTRA COSTA LAWYER SAYS THANKS!
• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - Helen Peters
• COURT STREET TURBOCOURT CHILD SUPPORT APPLICATION EXTENDS SERVICES - George Nielsen and Caroline Kelley
• QUESTION MAN IF YOU HAD TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, WOULD YOU HAVE GONE INTO A DIFFERENT AREA OF LAW?
• NEW MEMBERS
• LOCAL CIVIL JURY VERDICTS - Matthew P. Guichard
• CLASSIFIEDS

"DEBTORS, CREDITORS AND BANKRUPTCY"

• HEADS UP FOR CREDITORS IN CHAPTER 13 An outline of the changes to the discharge in Chapter 13. - David A. Arietta
• REGISTERED DOMESTIC PARTNERS CREDITOR'S REMEDIES, DEBTOR'S RIGHTS AND BANKRUPTCY A summary of the effect of California's domestic Partner Rights and Responsibility Act of 2003 on creditor's remedies and bankruptcy issues. - Robert F. Kidd
• AUTOMATIC STAY OF BANKRUPTCY CHANGES UNDER BAPCPA THAT AFFECT LANDLORD/TENANT PRACTICE The author unravels two new provisions of the automatic stay section of the Bankruptcy Code - C. Randall Bupp
• EMPLOYEE RETENTION IN THE SMALLER CHAPTER 11 CASE  Ways to retain employees in smaller Chapter 11 cases or any business having financial problems.- John Barnard
• THE REAL ESTATE MARKET AND BANKRUPTCY The authors discuss the real estate crisis and bankruptcy. - David M. Sternberg and Marlene G. Weinstein
• INSIDE - Marlene G. Weinstein
• CCCBA 2008 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE BEGINS
• BENCH TALK - A NON-BANKRUPTCY ATTORNEY'S ROAD MAP TO THE OAKLAND BANKRUPTCY COURT - Hon. Leslie Tchaikovsky
• 2007 MCLE SPECTACULAR!
• PRO BONO SPOTLIGHT The Law Offices of David M. Lederman
• CLASSIFIEDS

"CRIMINAL LAW ISSUE"

• REFORM ARRIVES CALIFORNIA JUVENILE CORRECTIONS An optimistic look at the dramatic juvenile justice reform provisions. - Jonathan Laba
• BEHAVIORAL HEALTH COURT Addressing the treatment needs of non-violent mentally ill offenders. - Brian Haynes
• PUBLIC WELFARE CRIMINAL OFFENSES ARE ALIVE AND WELL - Lon Wixson
• THE WORD FROM A COURT YET MORE SUPREME The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly reversed the California Supreme Court in recent years.  Three such cases that illustrate this trend originated in our county.- David Coleman
• INSIDE - Ron Boyer
• BENCH TALK
• 2007 COURT SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS - Luana Horstkotte
• QUESTION MAN What's the answer to prison overcrowding?
• 2007 MCLE SPECTACULAR!
• ATTORNEY SPOTLIGHT KEN McCORMICK
• NEW MEMBERS
• CLASSIFIEDS