DJ profiles Justice Richman

"I'm like the heavy.
I've gone out pretty heavy
against lawyers for
doing the wrong thing."

 In The Heavy, today's DJ reports 1st District Court of Appeal Justice James Richman doesn't hold back when he feels litigants or their attorneys have crossed a line. [The DJ's last profile of 1/2's Richman was in October 2007, titled From Pen-and-Paper Man to Internet Guru.]

"Richman is especially known for opinions criticizing what he views as excessive use of the automatic stay triggered by appeals of anti-SLAPP motion denials .... [He] views the automatic stay as a mechanism for delay and has -- unsuccessfully -- called on the Legislature to address the issue."

'I use my opinions to teach people how to do it and how not to do it,'
The justice will turn 80 this summer, but he has no plans to leave the court. "I still enjoy it," "It's important and intellectually stimulating and fun."

Also in today's DJ, Jessica DiPalma of Nemecek & Cole has California Supreme Court clarifies citation of opinions rule, noting last month's Admin Order 2021-04-21, which amends the comment to Rule 8.1115, explaining that pending review, a court of appeal opinion may be cited not only for its persuasive value, but also for the limited purpose of establishing the existence of a conflict in authority to allow trial courts exercise discretion to choose which side of a precedential conflict to follow.

On the ad front, ADR Services, Inc. is publicizing its Appellate Consultations services for case evals, consults, moot courts, and appellate mediations, listing retired justices Cottle, Kitching, Lambden, Mihara, Parrilli, Rivera, Stein, and Zebrowski, as well as retired judges with significant appellate/pro tem experience, like retired LASC Judge Allan Goodman.