The 2023 National Law Day theme of Cornerstones of Democracy; Civics, Civility, and Collaboration is a strong reminder of a new state of American politics and law. This year’s theme invoked a concerned message in support of rebuilding trust in our nation’s institutions and leaders, as well as regaining respect and willingness to collaborate with opposing views from one’s own [2]. In an era of growing political divide in the United States and worldwide, the underlying sentiment between opposing...
After months of planning, preparation, and coordination, the Victor Miceli Law Library (VMLL) celebrated its grand reopening in downtown Riverside! On April 21st, 2023, California state dignitaries, Riverside County legal professionals, and members of the public gathered in downtown Riverside to celebrate a new milestone in the eight-decade history of the Riverside County Law Library (RCLL) organization. What started in 1941 with the first official board meeting minutes has now culminated with...
As Americans we have been given the right to say many things without legal consequence. However, as journalist Chris Lamb made the following comment about the circumstances involved in the statements made by Dilbert creator Scott Adams, he “failed to grasp that being a social critic means your freedom of expression only goes as far as your audience is willing to accept it. Adams could say whatever he wanted to his YouTube audience because his listeners may have agreed with what he said.” [1]
In...
It is no secret that climate change, ecology, and the catastrophes they present are some of the most concerning issues facing Californians as we lurch towards an uncertain future. The popularity of a star-studded film such as Don’t Look Up and the frequent and sensational debates concerning the validity of the science behind climate change bear witness to this. In a speech delivered in July of 2022, even President Joe Biden declared that “Climate change is an existential threat.” At this time,...
Many people use Airbnb to begin their dealings with rental arbitrage. Airbnb is typically used as a short-term rental site, although some listings do have long term options. As the ebb and flow of available housing continues, many renters are searching for and utilizing strategies like rental arbitrage to put some much-needed money into their pockets. This seemingly business-like-plan affords Airbnb hosts, some who do not own property, the ability to rent out a property on a long-term basis and...
On October 27th 2022 during National Pro Bono Week, the Riverside County Law Library hosted one of its hallmark events, “Lawyers in the Library” at the Ronald H. Roberts Temecula Public Library. The event was organized by Emily Lazcano, Library Assistant at the Temecula Law Resource Center. Her talents in outreach brought together six of Temecula’s esteemed attorneys to provide 20 minutes of pro-bono legal consultation to the public. Lawyers in the areas of family law, immigration law, criminal...
Medical debt continues to weigh down the futures of Americans even as new laws are passed. With the recent announcement of President Joe Biden forgiving up to $20,000 of student debt for eligible people, I was reminded of another form of debt that weighs down on Americans: medical debt. TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian announced they began removing cleared medical debts beginning back on July 1, 2022. Dealing with medical bills being sent to collections and current medical bills lingering over...
Labor Day weekend is upon us. After… well… laboring away for a while without a (state-sanction) 3-day weekend, it’s time to finally kickback and unwind! The typical Sunday dread that accompanies that gradual realization of a return to work the following day is postponed to Monday. A reward for our hard work during the year? Or the result of years of struggle carried out by workers just like us in the late 19th century? One might be inclined to think that there is a reason for the specificity in...
While COVID continues to take a toll on Southern California, with substantial amount of the economic impact on small businesses, recent studies suggest that businesses are starting to recover. And since nearly 85% of all businesses in the Inland Empire are considered small or very small,[1] this recovery has been critical to our local economy.
How is the recovery going? According to a Spring 2022 Inland Empire Business Activity Index, the Inland Empire has outperformed many regions in California...