California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger shared insights from her journey from law student to the state’s highest court, highlighting how a calling to serve the public good guided her career. She spoke with students about the importance of understanding one’s audience, collaborating with colleagues to reach sound decisions, and overcoming self-doubt through purpose-driven work.

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Water Rights Settlement Act ratifies that the Tribe has a federally reserved water right up to 20,000 acre-feet per year of groundwater from the Indio Subbasin that is held in trust by the U.S. for the Tribe and individual allottees. The Tribe would also have surface water rights in Tahquitz Creek, Andreas Creek, and Whitewater Ranch, held in trust by the U.S.

Legal scholars have long debated the role and influence of academic writing on judicial decisionmaking. The optimistic view holds that scholarship provides courts with rigorous analysis, empirical data, historical context, and normative frameworks that improve legal reasoning.

(Subscription required) In his final column as a sitting justice, Arthur Gilbert reflects on five decades of judicial service, the colleagues and staff who supported him, the whimsical notion of multiverses and cosmic chance, and the fitting title -- "The Beginning" -- signaling that his column will continue even after "RET" follows his name.