Student Loan Crisis: Is Bankruptcy the Answer?

Written on July 19, 2019.

Every graduate has the same message drilled into their head by every financial aid department: bankruptcy won’t save you from your student loans. The case In Re Brunner lists several factors that would allow for discharge of your student loan debt, but practically speaking, the “Brunner Test” is a very hard burden to meet. The three-prong test is as follows: (1) that you cannot maintain a minimal standard of living if to pay the student loans; (2) that some “additional circumstances exist” that...

Elder Abuse Allegedly Strikes Marvel Co-Creator Stan Lee

Written on June 6, 2019.

While the Avengers: End Game continues to smash box office records and entertain millions across the world, fans are still adjusting to a Marvel Cinematic Universe without one its creator’s, Stan Lee. The iconic co-founder of Marvel Comics, Stan Lee built a modern media empire that began as a few lines of colorful comic strips. Given his immense fame, it came as a shock to fans when it was reported that Mr. Lee may have been subject to elder abuse towards the end of his life. Keya Morgan, a memorabilia...

National Law Day – 2019 Wrap-Up

Written on May 10, 2019.

I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who made our year’s National Law Day celebrations possible. From our esteemed speakers to our amazing patrons, thank you for coming out and taking part in honoring the role of law in our society. This year’s theme was “Free Speech, Free Press, and Free Society,” which resounded throughout our events. There is a reason why Free Speech was first amongst our numbered amendments (hopefully it just wasn’t a typo). In the age where your privacy and your...

National Law Day – Judicial Independence Panel Discussion

Written on April 17, 2019.

In honor of National Law Day, our library will be holding a judicial panel discussion with three esteemed justices from the Fourth Court of Appeal and two Riverside County Superior Court judges about the role of judicial independence in a politically divided society. But what is judicial independence and what shape does it take in the California judicial system? Judicial independence allows our judicial officers the ability to do their jobs without external influences. Let’s just say that the...

The Supreme Court Has The Last Dance

Written on March 28, 2019.

Interesting development to my blog post from last month regarding copyright of dance moves that appeared in video games. For more information read the prior blog. On March 4th of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that people must complete their registration with the Copyright Office before they could sue for copyright infringement. Because of this ruling, the lawsuits against the maker of Fortnite, Epic Games, have been dropped. The lawsuits were over use of certain dance emotes in the...

New Law Would Eliminate Bail

Written on January 22, 2019.

On August 28th of last year, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB10, better known as the bail reform bill, into law. Originally scheduled to go into effect in October 2019, the new law promises to transform conditions of pretrial release and is already being used in test programs in several counties. For example, Napa County has a similar system in place and has reported a lower rate of recidivism. Under current law, those facing misdemeanor charges are usually released on their own recognizance and...

Tag: Legal News