California Legal News

What is changing in California law: rulings from the state courts, bills signed into law, and regulatory updates that affect people and businesses in CA. Use the topics below to narrow the feed.

Topics in California

California Appeals Court Applies 1986 Damage Caps to Revived Child Abuse Lawsuits
Oct 6, 2026Personal Injury & Accidents
A California Court of Appeal ruled that the noneconomic damage limits from the 1986 Proposition 51 still apply to childhood sexual‑abuse claims revived by the 2019 law, affecting a multi‑million‑dollar action against Catholic entities.
California AG Bonta Says Mail‑In Voting Safe After Supreme Court Win
Oct 5, 2026Courts & Legislation
Attorney General Rob Bonta assures Californians that vote‑by‑mail remains secure for the Nov. 3, 2026 election after a U.S. Supreme Court decision.
Second Federal Court Halts President Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Oct 4, 2026Immigration
A federal judge in California has blocked enforcement of a $100,000 H-1B visa fee, ordering proper rulemaking by the Department of Homeland Security.
Federal Judge Allows Creators’ Data Mining Lawsuit Against ByteDance to Move Forward
Oct 3, 2026IP & Technology
A federal judge ruled that content creators can move forward with a lawsuit accusing ByteDance of data mining their YouTube videos to train artificial intelligence models.
California Attorney General Reaches Agreement with Natomas Unified School District
Oct 3, 2026Courts & Legislation
California AG Bonta announced an agreement with Natomas Unified over student privacy violations, discriminatory discipline, and unlawful suspensions.
California Attorney General Issues Investigative Subpoena to OpenAI Over AI Risks
Oct 2, 2026IP & Technology
California's Attorney General has served an investigative subpoena on OpenAI as part of a formal inquiry into cybersecurity risks and incidents.
Lyft agrees to $272.5 million settlement over driver misclassification in California
Oct 2, 2026Employment & Labor
Lyft will pay more than $272 million to resolve California claims it misclassified drivers, with about $237 million earmarked for eligible drivers.
California Secures Record $272.5 Million in Lyft Misclassification Suit
Oct 2, 2026Employment & Labor
Lyft will pay $272.5 million to resolve claims that it misclassified thousands of drivers as independent contractors rather than employees.
California Enacts Laws to Protect Rights and Require Inspections in Detention Centers
Oct 1, 2026Immigration
Governor Gavin Newsom signed two new laws to establish a Bill of Rights for civil detainees and mandate ongoing inspections of California detention centers.
New California Law Modifies Protective Orders to Improve Survivor Safety
Oct 1, 2026Criminal Defense Family & Divorce
California enacted Assembly Bill 1753 to modernize court protective orders, address access barriers, and strengthen gun violence protections.
Federal Judge Advances Genetic Privacy Lawsuit Over DNA Database Access
Oct 1, 2026IP & Technology
A federal judge allowed parts of a class action over genetic data sharing to proceed, focusing on law enforcement access and website tracking pixels.
California Approves New Laws to Shield Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Healthcare
Oct 1, 2026IP & Technology
California enacted three new laws to protect patients and medical providers from out-of-state legal threats regarding reproductive and gender-affirming care.