Category: News

Amicus letter in OSPD v. Bonta S284496

Amicus letter in OSPD v. Bonta S284496

On April 9, 2024 the State Public Defender filed a petition for a writ of mandate in the California Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction, challenging the state’s capital punishment system with an equal protection argument. The matter is captioned Office of the State Public Defender v. Bonta (S284496). For a complete description of the petition and its context, we recommend this At the Lectern article by David Ettinger. Two affiliates of Berkeley Law’s California Constitution Center filed an amicus curiae letter brief in this matter (filing as the California Constitution Scholars), arguing that rather than granting an alternative writ and confronting...

Event announcement

Event announcement

The California Supreme Court Historical Society presents: Looking Back: A Review of Significant Decisions of The California Supreme Court in 2023 Thursday, February 15, 2024 – Webinar12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Click here to register! Introduction by California Supreme Court Justice Joshua GrobanPresentation by David A. Carrillo, Berkeley Law There is no charge for this program. 1 hour MCLE Credit is available to California Supreme Court Historical Society members at no charge. Non-members may purchase MCLE credit for $25.00 This program is co-sponsored by: Alameda County Bar AssociationThe Bar Association of San FranciscoCalifornia Constitution Center at Berkeley LawCalifornia Lawyers AssociationCitrin...

Hail and farewell, Madam Chief Justice

California’s Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye will retire, she announced this morning in a media conference. Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye will not file for retention election, and will vacate her position when her term ends in January 2023, having served a full 12-year term as California’s highest judicial officer. Appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, she assumed office on January 3, 2011. She will be 63 when she leaves office, having served 32 years on the bench since Governor George Deukmejian first appointed her in 1990. Like her colleagues justices Carol Corrigan and Martin Jenkins, Cantil-Sakauye served at every level of California court...

SCOCA Conference 2022 complete agenda

SCOCA Conference 2022 complete agenda

Friday June 10, 20229:00am to 4:15pmBroadcast live from the California Supreme Court conference center. Click here to register! Program outline 9:00 – 9:55 Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye keynote. A discussion on the pandemic’s effects on the judicial branch, the Judicial Council’s efforts to continue providing access to justice, and the successes and lessons of remote appearances that should continue to improve courthouse availability. We will discuss how the pandemic’s lessons about conducting government remotely can improve civic engagement and access to the governing process. 10:00 – 10:55 David Ettinger and David A. Carrillo will review the court’s major decisions in...

California Constitution Center turns 10

California Constitution Center turns 10

Dear California: What a decade it’s been since John Yoo, Danny Chou, and David Carrillo forged the California Constitution Center in April 2012: no one foresaw a pandemic, Trump, a gubernatorial recall, and a European land war. Despite it all California still stands, and the center abides. In the center’s first decade we worked hard to build a body of knowledge, contribute to the law, and participate in policy debates. Our res gestae: A casebook 188 blog articles 64 moots 50 opinion editorials 47 fellows 25 classes 15 journal articles 15 conferences and events Five amicus briefs We did work...

It’s official: SOS chooses easy recall qualification procedure

It’s official: SOS chooses easy recall qualification procedure

The official website for the California Secretary of State has updated and its FAQ for the 2021 gubernatorial recall election now describes the qualification procedure. Secretary Weber decided to use the same primary candidate qualification requirements that Kevin Shelley employed in the 2003 Gray Davis recall: A replacement candidate must follow existing primary election nomination procedures to run for the office of Governor and must file the required paperwork no less than 59 days before the scheduled recall election. A replacement candidate must: File with the county elections official, in which the candidate is registered to vote, the following: A...

California and Local Measures on the November Ballot

California and Local Measures on the November Ballot

While the focus in November is on the top of the ticket, Californians will confront a formidable ballot on November 3, 2020. Propositions 15, 19, and 21 will impact California real estate and we include an overview of these propositions below. San Francisco voters have 13 San Francisco propositions to consider in addition to state and federal offices and measures. The local propositions address an array of topics, including governance, affordable housing, taxes, and permits. Some of the key measures impacting San Francisco businesses are summarized below. Except where indicated, the measures require a simple majority vote to pass. California...

Farewell (for now) to the SAT and ACT in UC admissions

Farewell (for now) to the SAT and ACT in UC admissions

Overview In September 2020, an Alameda County judge issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting University of California undergraduate campuses from accepting SAT or ACT test scores for admissions or financial aid purposes.[1] In a seventeen-page order, Judge Brad Seligman found that the UC’s current “test-optional” policy constituted unlawful discrimination toward persons with disabilities under California’s Education Code and Unruh Civil Rights Act. This article discusses the unique constitutional deference and autonomy the UC system receives, explains why it is still subject to certain legislative regulation, and outlines both the case and possible future developments. Analysis Didn’t the UC system already plan...

SCOCA Symposium 2020: California’s Battle Over Housing

SCOCA Symposium 2020: California’s Battle Over Housing

Overview On January 30, Hastings Law Journal hosted a Supreme Court of California symposium at UC Hastings College of the Law on the topic of state and local control over housing in California. The symposium happened to fall the day after the vote on Senate Bill 50 vote (and the day of the vote on reconsideration). SB 50 would have effectively upzoned large swaths of land near transit, and increased density in residential neighborhoods, even when zoned for single family homes. The symposium included a practitioner panel and an academic panel, followed by a keynote address from State Senator Scott...