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In plaintiff’s legal malpractice action against her attorney, trial court’s entry judgment of $2.65 million in favor of the plaintiff is reversed where: 1) a default judgment for an amount greater than that stated in the complaint is void; 2) constructive notice of potential liability does not satisfy Code of Civil Procedure section 580; 3) the judgment is void and vacated as plaintiff did not comply with the notice requirement; and 4) plaintiff’s motion to dismiss the appeal is denied....

A guinea pig roommate – they’re the best kind. Or not. You do have to clean up after them. But Kendra Velzen doesn’t mind. The 28-year-old student is suing Grand Valley State University in Michigan, accusing it of violating the federal Housing Rights Act. Administrators allegedly wouldn’t let her house Blanca, her guinea pig, in her on-campus apartment. The ban is “alleged” because the school and Velzen’s attorneys dispute the facts....

On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… 12 Waivers Waving – Yup, the best way of going about stopping a class action is preventing it from starting. And how do you do that? Binding arbitration with a class action waiver, of course. 11 Circuits Piping – But that’s not counting the D.C. and Federal Circuits, which make Lucky 13. Why hasn’t the Ninth Circuit been split up, again?...

In a petition for review of a city’s grant of a conditional use permit to build a store and its environmental impact report (EIR) regarding the same, the denial of the petition is affirmed, where the California Environmental Quality Act guidelines and the city’s municipal ordinances did not require the planning commission to review the EIR, as amended, and make a new recommendation to the city council before the city council could act....

The last time we saw Voldemort, I mean Vinod Khosla, the Silicon Valley billionaire was playing the role of mystical villain to local beachgoers. The venture capitalist purchased property in San Mateo County that contained a private access road – the only access to Martin’s Beach, which is otherwise surrounded by cliffs – and closed off the road. The history nerd in us quivered: The case involved property rights derived from the freaking Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo....

As NSA surveillance secrets make a a big splash in the headlines, you may have heard the terms “FISA” and “secret court,” but even as an attorney, don’t know much about them. Here’s a little more history on the most secretive court in America. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) is the gatekeeper. By ruling yea or nay on warrant applications, it is supposed to ensure sure the government doesn’t abuse its surveillance powers....

Do you hashtag? Hashtags are usually used to commune online, or gather information. So why have they become so divisive that people are threatening to sue over them? If you keep up with the Jenner-Kardashians then you’ll know that for the rich, everything is a source of potential profit and litigation. Now proud mama of the famous, profitable, and litigious Kardashian clan, Kris Jenner, faces legal threats from a jewelry brand claiming she’s infringing on their intellectual property by using #ProudMama in posts about her children while promoting a jewelry line....

Keeping up with the tech industry’s recent alleged commitment to employ more women, particularly in management roles, earlier this month Apple Inc. stepped up to that plate. The tech goliath announced that a new female General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Legal and Global Security will be taking over for the company’s current GC Bruce Sewell. Meet Kate Adams, the former SVP and GC at Honeywell, who will now be stepping into that same role but for the much more high profile Apple....

In a murder prosecution, dismissal of petitioner’s habeas petition for lack of jurisdiction is reversed where, because the state court of appeals held that challenges to the effectiveness of appellate counsel could not be brought pursuant to the state collateral review statute, but were instead required to be raised through a motion to recall the mandate in that court, that statute did not deprive federal courts of jurisdiction over habeas petitions alleging ineffective assistance of appellate counsel....

A Michigan woman who filed suit against Starbucks after the company stopped making single-serve coffee discs for her brand of coffee maker has settled her lawsuit. How much was the woman able to get out of Starbucks and Kraft Foods, the maker of her Tassimo coffee maker, after two-and-a half-years of litigation? $250, reports The Grand Rapids Press. What led to this slow-brewed settlement and why might this it end up costing Starbucks a lot more than $250 when all is said and done?...

I know, you like to think of yourself as more of an intellectual than a nerd. You’re not a computer scientist, after all! But think again. If you went to law school, there’s no escaping the fact that you have nerdy tendencies. Accept it. Now that we have that out of the way: since it’s summertime, we thought we’d give you some travel ideas to sate the legal curiosity inside you....

The recent California wildfires, which as of this date are still not contained, have resulted in almost 50 deaths, countless destroyed homes, and acres upon acres of destroyed landscape. And before the fire is even out or down to embers, victims of the Camp Fire burning in northern California have filed a negligence lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric claiming that sparks from an electrical line started the fire, and that the company knew about the dangers and failed to act to prevent the wildfire from starting....

Under the law, plenty of things are people: people are people; municipalities, states, and federal offices are people; and even corporations are people, with religious rights and all. And now, a lawyer is arguing that elephants (three specifically, at least) are people, too. “The Nonhuman Rights Project’s lawsuit on behalf of the elephants,” according to Steven Wise, founder of the group and filer of the lawsuit at issue, “marks the first time in the world that a lawsuit has demanded that an elephant’s legal right not to be imprisoned and treated as a thing be recognized....

Renting is hideous, especially here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Back in the projects of Lexington, Virginia (true story), we were able to find two bedroom apartments for only $450 per month. Here? We’re talking $1,100 for a crappy “junior one bedroom” apartment. That’s $13,100 per year. That’s might-as-well-have-a-mortgage territory. Except, there is this minor factor of student loan debt. Now, everyone’s finances are different. Some of us have $1,000 per month student loan payments....

The Baltimore Ravens terminated Ray Rice’s contract Monday, just hours after a newly released video showed him slugging his then-fiancee in an elevator. The video appears to shed new light on an incident in February, when Rice was caught on video dragging his unconscious fiancee out of an elevator in an Atlantic City casino. The new video shows Rice and Janay Palmer (now Janay Rice) inside the elevator, with Rice throwing a punch at his future wife, reports the Baltimore Sun....

If you’re a law student or recent graduate, you’re probably aware by now that finding legal work that pays can be difficult. For a law student looking to gain important legal experience, or young lawyers just starting out, it can be tempting to offer your services for free. We’re not talking pro bono representation of the indigent here, but unpaid internships, volunteer attorney positions, and no-cost legal services for otherwise paying customers....

Should what goes on in the jury room stay in the jury room? Not always, according to a recent D.C. Court of Appeals opinion on post-verdict challenges of juror misconduct. The court has carved out an exception to the No-Impeachment Rule when there is an allegation of racial or ethnic bias. The court’s decision allowing judges to investigate jurors is narrow; only when substantial allegations of racial or ethic bias affect a defendant’s constitutional rights....

A legal dogfight could soon be hatching in Florida, where state lawmakers repealed a decades-old ban on dyeing animals. But don’t expect a deluge of brightly dyed chicks this Easter. Florida’s governor must still approve the repeal of the state’s 45-year-old ban on dyeing animals, which would then be lifted July 1, UPI reports. So Florida’s chirping chickadee population can still expect a dye-free Easter this weekend. Come next Easter, however, animal-rights activists fear Florida could see a boom in brightly dyed chicks, along with other animal breeds....

In a world fraught with physical danger, financial peril, and emotional strife, can’t we just eat our turkey burgers in peace? Apparently not. Gloria Besley found that out the hard way when a Kirkwood turkey burger exploded on her stove, causing second-degree burns, scarring to both hands and forearms, and years’ worth of nightmare fuel for frozen burger fans everywhere. Besley’s lawsuit claims she just following the “to fry” directions on the frozen turkey burger package, which read: “Preheat skillet on medium heat....

Phil Ivey, a World Series of Poker professional player that has won more than $6 million on the tour, and over $19 million from playing online poker, has run into some legal trouble with an Atlantic City casino. The poker pro, who calls himself the Tiger Woods of poker (maybe he might want to reconsider that one), along with an accomplice, in 2012, used a technique known as “edge sorting” in order to win/scam $9....