Div. One of the Fourth District Court of Appeal held yesterday that a judge erred in sua sponte disqualifying a man’s attorney-brother from representing him pro bono in divorce proceedings, saying that the fact that the lawyer might be a potential witness with a possible financial interest in the case, based on evidence that he had been helping his sibling out financially, was not enough to overcome the party’s right to the counsel of his choosing.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that he is directing state agencies to develop artificial intelligence safety recommendations, some of which were part of a bill he vetoed two years ago. His change of tune on those measures, including requiring AI developers to include a “kill switch” to shut off certain programs in emergencies, comes in response to growing public alarm over the fast-developing technology’s potential “catastrophic” harms such as AI creating a bioweapon or bringing down the power grid. 

(Subscription required) Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday named two of his top lawyers to the appellate bench as he continues to pare down his legal departments with just four months left in office. Brian Goldman, the governor’s chief deputy legal affairs secretary, and Adam Hofmann, Newsom’s deputy judicial appointments secretary, will both serve on the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco, if confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments.

At its September 17–18 meeting, the Board of Trustees approved a recommendation to the California Supreme Court to establish a statewide Community Justice Worker (CJW) Program. The proposal, once approved by the Court, would authorize trained nonlawyers, known as Community Justice Workers, to provide limited legal assistance to California residents under the supervision of approved legal aid organizations.