Birss was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Feb. 2, 2026, to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Monique McKee.

Failure of arbitrators to make certain a proceeding was being electronically recorded, coupled with their alleged incessant interruptions of the plaintiff, did not require that a District Court judge vacate an award, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held yesterday, affirming the judgment.

An anti-abortion activist, who bumped into an employee of a Redlands-based clinic with his stomach during efforts to block her from interrupting a conversation between another protestor and a potential client outside the gated premises, was properly subjected to a workplace violence restraining order requiring him to stay 100 yards away from the facility for three years, the Third District Court of Appeal held yesterday.

Three attorneys are facing discipline from the State Bar of California after allegations that they cited nonexistent legal decisions in submitted court documents that were written using artificial intelligence. Though attorneys are permitted to use AI, they must independently verify all information included in court filings.