(Subscription required) In her Los Angeles County family law court, she must referee and make the calls when opponents battle for custody of their children, rights to their property, revenge or repayment for years of care and support. "So, I think a major thing, even in sports, is feeling that the umpire, or the ref, whatever it is, is calling it the way they see it, and just listening to the facts and watching what's presented to them," Rodriguez Tyler said.

(Subscription required) Legal experts and attorneys on either side considered whether a quick turnaround was a sign that gun rights advocates had drawn a favorable three-judge panel or whether the panel judges merely wanted to block a new law before deciding whether it violates gun owners’ constitutional rights.

It’s a narrative that plays out for many across the state and the country: Nationwide, fewer than 5% of tenants in eviction cases are represented by an attorney, compared to more than 80% of landlords.

Our word to describe the California Supreme Court in 2023 is coalescence. It makes no difference how long a justice has served, who appointed the justice, what political party they vote for, or what kind of toast they like — the metrics we track for this court all show collapsing trends with few divergences.