In Cleveland National Forest Foundation v. County of San Diego (2025) 109 Cal. App.5th 1257, the Fourth District Court of Appeal invalidated two thresholds of significance adopted by the County of San Diego (“County”) that in certain circumstances would have avoided the need for a project proponent to perform an analysis of vehicle miles travelled.
Several years ago, many of us were stunned to learn how much funding would run through FEMA’s BRIC program (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities). Traditionally, significant money only ran through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works Program. Big funds from FEMA tended to show up only after a disaster. But BRIC was going to change
Justice Stephen Field wrote for a unanimous Supreme Court in the 1869 case of United States v. Kirby that “The reason of the law . . . should prevail over its letter.” Justice Field wrote these words in support of a decision holding that a sheriff who arrested a mail carrier for murder could not subsequently
A question for you: do you have an estate plan? Of course you do, everyone needs an estate plan.
Second question: who is(are) the beneficiary(ies) of your estate plan? Someone you love and trust, I presume. Perhaps a spouse, or your children, or maybe even a worthy charity.
Follow-up questions: if your beneficiary is not
In the wake of the tragic disaster still unfolding in multiple communities of Southern California, Governor Newsom has issued an executive order (Executive Order N-4-25) intended to “expedite recovery” from the disaster by “eliminating barriers that unduly delay the rapid rebuilding of homes and other facilities destroyed or damages by the extreme windstorm conditions and
Hey everybody – it’s January! How was your New Year’s Eve? How did you celebrate? Did you go to a party? Did you host a party? Were there games at your party? What kind of games? Charades? Jenga? Maybe you went crazy and played Twister!
What did I do at my New Year’s Eve party? Thanks for asking. I played my favorite party game: Corner
In Center for Biological Diversity v. County of San Benito (2024) 104 Cal.App.5th 22, the Court of Appeal held that the statute of limitations for two CEQA challenges did not begin to run until the Board of Supervisors had heard and decided appeals from the Planning Commission. Because the County of San Benito’s local ordinance
On October 21st, the Second District Court of Appeal published a decision in Santa Clarita Organization etc. v. County of Los Angeles (2024) 105 Cal.App.5th 1143 that addresses the question of whether a CEQA challenge to an approval of a vesting tentative tract map for a subdivision is subject to the summons requirement under the Subdivision
Just prior to Christmas, I was lucky enough to be a guest on the latest episode of Trust Me!: the podcast presented by the Trusts and Estates Section of the California Lawyers Association, with Kristen Yokomoto, podcast host and Executive Committee Member of the CLA Trust and Estate Section (TEXCOM).
We had a great time
In Westside Los Angeles Neighbors Network v. City of Los Angeles (2024) 104 Cal.App.5th 223, the Second District held that the City of Los Angeles Planning Commission (“Commission”) was a decision-making body authorized to certify the final EIR for the entirety of the Westside Mobility Plan (“Mobility Plan”). The Court found that this authority
