http://www.newdorf.com Your source for litigation news and information Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:40:22 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment in favor of San Francisco in a civil rights lawsuit dubbed "fajitagate."  In an unsigned six-page memorandum decision issued July 23, 2008, Judges John Noonan, Sidney Thomas and Jay Bybee held that the City ... http://www.newdorf.com/courthouse_news/ninth-circuit-affirms-sf-victory-in-fajitagate-case The Board of Governors of the California State Bar appointed San Francisco attorney David Newdorf to the Executive Committee of the Litigation Section at its July 2008 meeting.  The three-year appointment begins September 28, 2008.  A former San Francisco Deputy City Attorney and a lawyer at a major international law firm, Mr. ... http://www.newdorf.com/news/david_newdorf_appointed_to_litigation_section_executive_committee First, there was Newdorf Legal, the blog.  Now, there is Newdorf Legal, the law firm.  I am pleased to announce the formation of my law firm, Newdorf Legal, as of July 14, 2008.  I am continuing my practice in civil litigation in the state and federal trial and appellate courts.  ... http://www.newdorf.com/news/new_san_francisco_litigation_boutique_newdorf_legal The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has calendared oral argument in the federal civil rights claims over a 2002 altercation between three off-duty S.F.P.D. officers (one of whom was the son of the assistant chief) and a San Francisco bartender and his friend. The media dubbed ... http://www.newdorf.com/courthouse_news/oral-argument-set-in-ninth-circuit-appeal-of-fajitagate-case Defending your client's deposition can be a nerve-wracking, sweaty armpit experience.  At the end of the day, a weak performance or just one poor answer can sink a case.  But even with stakes this high, most lawyers do not spend enough time preparing the client to testify.  While the demands of your practice, ... http://www.newdorf.com/litigation-tips/preparing_your_client_for_deposition Do lawyers make better bloggers? I doubt it. But there are certainly hundreds (thousands?) of legal blogs and websites on the Internet. For reasons that will become plain below, Newdorf Legal announces its first contest: Tell me your favorite law-related website or blog. To enter, respond to this article with ... http://www.newdorf.com/lawyers-and-law/contest-tell-me-your-favorite-legal-website-or-blog The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on November 6, 2007, heard oral argument in Bull v. City and County of San Francisco, a class action challenging the County Jail's former strip search policy. Until January 2004, the San Francisco County Jail made an unclothed visual inspection ... http://www.newdorf.com/courthouse_news/ninth-circuit-hears-oral-arguments-in-strip-search-class-action One of the prime reasons to spend the time and money to depose an adverse witness is to gather impeachment material.  Other than hiring a private investigator to delve into the witness's past, the deposition is the most effective tool in the lawyer's arsenal for uncovering dirt and chipping away at ... http://www.newdorf.com/litigation-tips/top_ten_killer_deposition_questions Senate Bill 93 would have allowed accident victims insured by Medi-Cal (and their lawyers) to recover higher settlements and judgments.  But the rhetoric of both sides fails to explain why the resulting medical damages would have been fair -- or too high, depending on one's point of view.  Although the ... http://www.newdorf.com/business-and-law/plaintiffs-bill-sb-93-was-ill-conceived Answers to the "Around the Courthouse" Jurisprudence Luncheon Quiz. (Find the Quiz by clicking on the "Around the Courthouse" Category on the right sidebar.) At the Bar Association of San Francisco's First Annual Jurisprudence Luncheon, the all-star panelists identified their favorite legal thinkers as follows: Hon. Joseph Grodin - Cardozo. Hon. Stephen ... http://www.newdorf.com/quiz-answers/jurists-favorite-theorists-answers-revealed