Archive for category: Publications

Sotomayor and Roger Traynor: The Job Interviews

All the focus on the speeches and writings of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor before her confirmation got me thinking. What would we see if we scrutinized the speeches and writings of the California Supreme Court’s former Chief Justice, Roger Traynor, a great 20th century appellate judge who served on the California Supreme Court for nearly 30 years? asks Elizabeth Roth of GCA Law Partners LLP.

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R.E.A.C.H. July 2009: Loss of Broker’s License for $100 Misdemeanor Conviction

A real estate brokers’ license may be suspended or revoked by the Department of Real Estate based upon the broker’s conviction of a crime that is “substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of the business or profession for which the license was issued.” In this issue, we discuss what is “substantially related.”

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R.E.A.C.H. March 2009: Unlicensed Contractors Work for Free

The California Supreme Court decided a case with far‐reaching implications in the construction industry, holding that a contractor unlicensed for even a small portion of a large job cannot get paid for any part of that job. The decision may have national impact.

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R.E.A.C.H. February 2009: Enforceable Option Agreements

THIS ISSUE: In September 2007, we reported on a court of appeal decision holding that an option purchase agreement in a residential lease was unenforceable because it was too uncertain. Recently, however, the California Supreme Court has reversed that decision, finding that even though the option was not perfect, it was nevertheless sufficiently certain to be enforced.

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R.E.A.C.H. December 2008: Exclusive Use Easements

THIS ISSUE: Typically, courts do not interpret an easement as an “exclusive use” right in land, since such a use would preclude all others – including the owner of the land – from using it. But one recent case held that the clear language of a granted easement created just such an exclusive use right, entitling the easement holders to use the land without interference of any kind from anyone, including the fee owners of the land.

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