Litigation

Because of the statutory constraints the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) faced and the unique characteristics of vernal pools and the species that inhabit them, the FWS appropriately made a critical habitat designation in a manner consistent with the scientific evidence available, although it did not designate which protected areas were occupied or unoccupied by the endangered species.

Expert analysis of key cases.

Key cases for your information.

In-depth comment on this important practice area.

In Charnay v. Cobert '- Cal.Rptr.3d '', 2006 WL 3410818 (Cal.App. 2 Dist., 11/28/06) (Perluss, P.J.), the trial court erred by sustaining a demurrer to a former client's suit against the law firm that represented her as she adequately alleged, inter alia, legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty.

Properly administered impact fee programs can operate to streamline California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review of later development projects. At the same time, impact fee programs that are not implemented in accordance with the original expectations, or that are founded upon unrealistic assumptions, may offer the lead agency and affected applicant little or no real legal relief, and may be a trap for the unwary.

Recent rulings of importance to you and your practice.

Ongoing United States military involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan and across the globe forces military parents to make important and sometimes difficult decisions with regard to their children. The current state of world affairs has resulted in increased deployment of active duty military members and increased activation and deployment of military reservists and National Guard members. Among other things, the mobilization of a military parent may result in the need for legal counsel to deal with complicated child custody issues. As a result, family lawyers dealing with military families must familiarize themselves with the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA).