(Subscription required) Taking the oath to defend the U.S. Constitution is a solemn commitment to uphold the rule of law, judicial independence, and democracy, especially as these core principles face growing threats in today's political climate.

The State Bar has responded to the California Supreme Court’s demand for information about how artificial intelligence was used to develop some of the multiple-choice questions on the problem-riddled February examination, admitting that 23 of the 171 questions ultimately recommended for inclusion in the scored portion of the exam were generated with the assistance of AI.

The case, Briskin v. Shopify, stems from a California resident’s allegations that Shopify, a company that offers back-end support to e-commerce companies around the U.S. and the globe, installed tracking software on his devices without his knowledge or consent, and used it to secretly collect data about him. Shopify also allegedly tracked users’ browsing activities across multiple sites and compiled that information into comprehensive user profiles, complete with financial “risk scores” that companies could use to block users’ future purchases.

California ’s population climbed above 39.5 million in 2024, marking the second year of growth following a string of declines in the nation’s most populous state during the coronavirus pandemic.