 Monthly Lawyer Debt and Bankruptcy Clinic -- December 6, 2024
Legal Access Alameda and the Alameda County Law Library are collaborating to provide an Ask a Lawyer Debt and Bankruptcy Clinic. The clinic provides free 20-minute appointments to consult with an attorney in-person or over Zoom to discuss debt and bankruptcy issues. The next clinic date will be on Friday, December 6, 2024 from noon to 2pm. Appointments can be made at https://alamedacountylawlibrary.as.me/ or by calling the library Reference Desk at (510) 208-4832.
Flyer available here
Trellis Access Ending December 1, 2024, and an Alternative
The company Trellis has made a business decision to end remote patron access (the ability to access Trellis outside of the library) for law libraries and their patrons. As a result, the Alameda County Law Library’s current subscription to Trellis will end on December 1, 2024.
We will miss this database, but we want to assure our library researchers that you can have access to trial court documents and verdicts through other databases we have on our research computers. To search for trial court documents and jury verdicts you can use Lexis Advance, one of the databases in our library, and at the Dublin and Fremont Public Libraries. [Read more]
 Video Recording of the Civil Appeals 101 presentation from October 15, 2024 Now Available
We've made a video recording of the Civil Appeals 101 presentation from October 15, 2024 available on our YouTube channel.
Program Description
Designed for all litigators contemplating tackling their own appeals, this course demystifies the appeals process, providing essential knowledge and practical strategies to enhance your appellate advocacy skills and avoid falling prey to procedural traps. Participants will explore the critical stages of civil appeals, from notice of appeal to oral arguments, and gain insights into drafting persuasive briefs. The program will cover key topics such as jurisdictional issues, standards of review, and effective oral advocacy techniques.
About the Speaker
Janet Gusdorff is a California Certified Appellate Law Specialist with over 18 years of experience in navigating complex legal challenges on appeal, successfully representing clients in a wide range of appellate cases and contributing to the advancement of employee protections through landmark cases such as Ross v. County of Riverside and Lin v. Kaiser Foundation Hospitals. Janet has earned a reputation for her creative and persuasive advocacy, deep understanding of appellate procedures, and fearless approach to tackling the steepest of uphill battles. A sought-after speaker and legal writer, Janet regularly shares her insights on appellate law at conferences and legal workshops, inspiring fellow attorneys with her expertise and passion for justice. Outside the courtroom, she is actively involved in legal education and mentorship, fostering the next generation of legal professionals in California.
View the video here.
 Alameda County Law Library Swag Now Available!
You can now support the law library and show off your library love with our new line of lovely swag! Our new batch includes a fashionable line of t-shirts, a hat, a journal, a fridge magnet, and a vacuum insulated tumbler. Get inspired and visit our shop at https://acll.printify.me/products
Self-Study MCLE Credit for MCLE Videos on the Alameda County Law Library YouTube Channel Now Available
You can now watch videos of some of our past MCLE events for California Self Study MCLE credit. We have put links to the MCLE written materials in the description fields of the MCLE videos on the Alameda County Law Library YouTube Channel's Self-Study MCLE playlist. You can watch the videos, download and read the written materials, and keep a record of your self-study activities on a California State Bar MCLE Personal Log, which can be downloaded from: https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/0/documents/forms/mcle/MCLE-Personal-Log_ADA.pdf
Note that self-study credit can be received only from videos that were prepared in the preceding five years (see MCLE Rules – Attorneys (effective October 1, 2023), Rules of the State Bar, Title 2, Div. 4, Rule 2.83 Self-study at: https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/0/documents/rules/Rules_Title2_Div4-MCLE.pdf)
 FAQ Friday: There is an abandoned car parked on my street in Oakland. What do I do?
An abandoned car can be an eyesore and a safety hazard. So are downed trees, sewer overflows, illegal dumping, street signal outages, and the like. If you have a situation like this, you can contact Oakland’s Public Works Agency to take care of the problem. [Read more]
FAQ Friday: How do I get started with suing my employer?
Since May is Worker's Rights Month, we thought we'd go through a couple of employment-related questions over the next few weeks. Let's start at the beginning: something is going wrong at work, and you think you have a claim against your employer. What happens next? [Read more]
FAQ Friday: How do I ask the Sheriff to serve papers for me?
Just this January, the Judicial Council produced a new set of forms under the SER- heading. These can be used to request that the Sheriff serve Court papers. Form SER-001 is used to ask the Sheriff to serve most documents, including Complaints, Restraining Orders, writs or levies. When asking the Sheriff to serve a writ or levy, SER-001 is used, along with SER-001A. [Read more]
 Toolbox Tuesday: Is it online?
For researchers using the Alameda County Law Library, you should know that most of the resources we have available in print are also available online via our research computers. As a quick reminder, here are a few titles of our most used print resources and where to find them online. [Read more]
Toolbox Tuesday: Enforcing Judgments in California
If you have gone through the legal process and won your case, it can be frustrating to find that collecting your judgment may not be an easy process. But the law library has your back! We have lots of information to help you through the collection process. Let’s get started! [Read more]
Toolbox Tuesday: Requesting Public Records
Are you trying to access public records from a city department but don’t know which department or who to ask? The path to acquiring this information may be easier than you think.
Many cities in Alameda County, including Oakland, Berkeley, Dublin, Fremont, provide a centralized way to request public records. The benefits of using this system are many:
- You don’t have to know which agency or department to make your request.
- You can make requests to multiple agencies or departments at one time
- You can search through all requests that have been submitted through this web page.
Want to know more? Let’s get started. [Read more]
 Video Recording of the Managing Student Loan Debt presentation from August 14, 2024 Now Available
We've made a video recording of the Managing Student Loan Debt presentation from August 14, 2024 available on our YouTube channel. No MCLE credit is given for this presentation.
Program Description
• Learn how to reduce your student loan debt
• Learn what to do if you struggle to pay your student loan debt
• Learn how your student loans can be cancelled.
About the Speaker
Mary E. Day is a Staff Attorney at HERA focusing on foreclosure prevention, student loans, and solar panel and home improvement scams. Prior to joining HERA, Mary represented parents in Alameda County struggling to reunite their families. Working with these families overwhelmed by poverty and systemically racist policies, Mary obtained several appellate rulings protecting families against unfair government practices.
Previously, Mary was a Public Defender in Florida where she represented juveniles and adults and became the office’s Search and Seizure Expert. Mary earned her J.D. from Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida. Mary is also an inventor on 5 U.S. patents reflecting the many years prior to the launch of her legal career that Mary spent as a Silicon Valley research engineer.
View the video here.
 Video Recording of The Probate Process presentation from February 28, 2024 Now Available
We've made a video recording of the The Probate Process presentation from February 28, 2024 available on our YouTube channel. No MCLE credit is given for this presentation.
Program Description
This presentation will explain what probate is and cover the major steps involved in probating an estate beginning with determining if probate is necessary through the final distribution to the heirs and beneficiaries.
About the Speaker
Karren Moore-Jordan joins HERA as a staff attorney with nearly thirty years of experience practicing law. At HERA, she focuses on probate estate practice and educating the public on understanding the probate process in California. Prior to joining HERA, Ms. Moore-Jordan worked in private practice assisting clients in Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano counties with guardianships, conservatorships, estate planning and decedent estates.
View the video here.
 Video Recording of Asset Protection Planning MCLE presentation from February 7, 2023 Now Available
We've made a video recording of the Homeownership Preservation MCLE event from February 7, 2023 available on our YouTube channel.
Program Description
From the underlying substantive law to practical aspects of asset protection, you will learn how to keep your assets from plaintiffs, creditors or an agency of the federal government. We'll review planning strategies and solutions, including planning with community property, use of domestic and offshore business entities, domestic and foreign trusts, equity strips, private retirement plans and many other. We will look at how to protect assets in a troubled economy from lenders and landlords holding personal guarantees and how to plan after a lawsuit, a default or an accident. The discussion will focus on the various ways to protect common assets, such as houses, bank and brokerage accounts, businesses and professional practices and retirement plans.
About the Speaker
Jacob Stein, Esq. is the managing partner of Aliant, LLP. He specializes in international tax planning, creative business and private wealth transactions, and asset protection. Jacob received his law degree from the University of Southern California, and a Master of Laws in Taxation from Georgetown University. He is ranked in the Chambers and Partners High Net Worth Guide, holds an AV-rating from Martindale-Hubbell®, has been named a Super Lawyer® by the Los Angeles Magazine for over ten years, and is listed in the top 1% of ‘America’s Most Honored Professionals’ by the American Registry. Jacob was an adjunct professor of taxation at the CSU, Northridge Graduate Tax Program for ten years. He lectures frequently to attorneys, CPAs and other professional groups, teaching over 50 seminars per year for state and local bar associations, estate planning councils, and international networking organizations. Jacob is an instructor with the California CPA Education Foundation, Thomson Reuters, the Rossdale Group, Spidell Publishing, and many more.
View the video here.
 Video Recording of Homeownership Preservation MCLE presentation from September 20, 2023 Now Available
We've made a video recording of the Homeownership Preservation MCLE event from August 31, 2023 available on our YouTube channel.
Program Description
Learn about homeowner rights and options to prevent foreclosure. This MCLE event will cover the topics of general homeownership preservation, foreclosure related issues, homeowners associations (HOAs), and property tax issues.
About the Speaker
Daniel Alper is a staff attorney at Housing and Economic Rights Advocates (HERA), focused primarily on issues around predatory lending and foreclosure prevention. He provides direct services to clients and also engages in impact litigation. Prior to working at HERA, Daniel was a law clerk at the Alameda County Public Defender’s office and judicial extern in the Northern District of California. Daniel earned his JD from Golden Gate University School of Law, where he participated in the Environmental Justice Clinic and served as an editor on the Environmental Law Journal.
Daniel currently teaches Legal Methods and Legal Analysis as an adjunct professor in the Academic Achievement program at GGU School of Law.
View the video here.
 Video Recording of How the Eviction Process Works: A Guide for Tenants and their Advocates MCLE presentation from August 31, 2023 Now Available
We've made a video recording of the How the Eviction Process Works: A Guide for Tenants and their Advocates MCLE event from August 31, 2023 available on our YouTube channel.
Program Description
This participatory training focuses on what tenants and their advocates need to know about the eviction process in Alameda County. This training is geared towards tenants facing an eviction lawsuit and is open to any member of the public, including non-attorneys. Attorneys who attend will qualify for one hour of MCLE credit.
As a result of this training, participants will be able to:
- Identify publicly available self-help resources for tenants facing an eviction lawsuit;
- Distinguish among eviction moratoria phase-out timelines in different cities and regions of Alameda County;
- Better explain the six major steps in an eviction lawsuit and the actions a tenant can take at each step.
About the Speaker
Alexandra Havrylyshyn is currently a Staff Attorney at Legal Assistance for Seniors, where she specializes in Housing issues. Prior to that, she was an Education Developer at the Judicial Council of California. Alexandra completed her JD at Berkeley Law, where she volunteered at East Bay Community Law Center’s Tenants’ Rights Workshop. In her spare time, Alexandra enjoys swimming at her local public pool and singing in the Ukrainian Choir of California.
View the video here.
We received some new titles and editions in September and October:
September:
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Black's Law Dictionary (Thomson Reuters, 2024)
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California Criminal Law (Thomson Reuters, 2024)
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California Judges Benchbook: Domestic Violence Cases in Criminal Court (Continuing Education of the Bar - California, 2024)
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California Practice Guide: Personal Injury (The Rutter Group, 1984- )
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Consumer Banking and Payments Law: Bank and Prepaid Accounts, Electronic Payments, Remittances, Wage and Benefit Payments, Electronic Records and Signatures (National Consumer Law Center, 2024)
October:
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Appellate Practice Manual (Appellate Defenders, Inc., 2024)
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California Elements of an Action (Thomson Reuters 2008- )
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California Judges Benchbook: Small Claims Court and Consumer Law (Thomson Reuters, 2023)
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Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Litigation: The Law of Section 1983 (West Group, 2021- )
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Consumer and Worker Arbitration Provisions: Enforceability; Conduct of Arbitration Proceedings (National Consumer Law Center, 2024)
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Credit Repair: Make a Plan, Improve Your Credit, Avoid Scams (Nolo, 2024)
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Judicial Council of California, Criminal Jury Instructions: CALCRIM (Thomson Reuters 2006- )
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Legal Research: How to Find & Understand the Law (Nolo, 2024)
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The Essential Guide to Handling Workplace Harassment & Discrimination (Nolo, 2024)
See the lists in our library catalog here and here
 New Titles Added to LexisNexis Digital Library
We've added several new titles to the LexisNexis Digital Library, which library card-holders can access remotely from anywhere with an internet connection. Titles added include:
- A Breakout Role: Blocking Cross-Border Infringement with the Lanham Act
- A Legal Guide to Recovering for Flood Losses
- Antitrust Health Care Handbook
- Bender's Immigration and Nationality Act Service
- Bender's Immigration Bulletin
- Bender's Immigration Regulations Service
- Chinese Family Law and Practice
- Commercial Mediation Practice Guide
- Covenants against Competition in Franchise Agreements
- Design Your Law Practice
- Effectively Representing Clients in Family Mediation
- Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
- Federal Rules of Evidence
- Gilson on Trademarks
- Guide to Patent Policies of Standards-Development Organizations
- Her Honor
- Immigration Law and Procedure: Business Immigration Module
- Impact Investing and Social Enterprises
- International Franchise Sales Laws
- Lemon Law
- Litigating Constructive Trusts
- Matthew Bender Practice Guide: Federal Pretrial Civil Procedure in California
- The Lawyer's Guide to Office Automation
- The Practitioner's Guide to Trials Before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
- USCS Advance Sheets
- White Collar Criminal Prosecutions in the U.S. and U.K.
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