6th Dist. pro tem update

Judge Frederick S. Chung of the Santa Clara County Superior Court will be sitting Pro Tem until July 31, 2026.

In other appellatey news, Bloomberg Law has Ex-Solicitor General Prelogar Joins Tom Goldstein’s Legal Team -- Former Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar is joining the legal team of SCOTUSblog.com co-founder Tom Goldstein in his criminal tax case.

Law360 has Goldstein Taps Ex-SG Prelogar Before Sentence, Likely Appeal

While solicitor general, Prelogar gained a level of mainstream prominence not often associated with the position. Her rise reflected oratorical skills that won respect among legal allies and adversaries alike, and that even resonated with nonlawyers, leading to a Vanity Fair magazine profile and an appearance on the NPR comedy show "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me!"

By the standards of the appellate bar, Goldstein is also uncommonly prominent. He founded SCOTUSblog, for example, and he pioneered now-ubiquitous methods of identifying cases the Supreme Court is likely to hear. Moreover, he became one of the few attorneys in recent decades to argue dozens of high court cases despite practicing at a boutique firm, lacking an Ivy League education and never working in the U.S. solicitor general's office.

Law.com has What Federal Judges Told Law Grads at Commencements This Year, which includes this SoCal vignette:

Second Circuit Judge Alison Nathan: Graduates at UC Irvine Law heard from Nathan, who reassured them that mistakes happen and those in the legal profession will “give you grace.” Nathan, appointed by Biden, told a story about her former boss, U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, for whom she clerked from 2001 until 2002.
Nathan said that during an oral argument, a nervous advocate was admonished by the chief justice for addressing one of the justices as “judge,” Nathan said at the May 8 ceremony. “Then Justice Stevens leaned forward in his chair, and he said, ‘Don't worry about it, counselor, the Constitution makes the same mistake,’” Nathan said. “That kind of grace, that kind of humility, that's part of the tradition you're joining, a deeply human tradition.... Even if the legal profession feels large and intimidating right now, in the end, it's just a group of people, people like you, making countless small choices every day.”

And who can resist a Law.com story involving a dog named Mandamus: The Best Trial Prep Partner? It Might Have Four Legs