Articles

06.02.20

Columns: A Little Help Here?

Benjamin Shatz authored an article for Daily Journal about the Code of Civil Procedure Section 166.1.


09.08.19

Shatz Writes for Los Angeles Lawyer on LA County Bar Association’s State Appellate Judicial ...

Manatt appellate partner Benjamin Shatz wrote an article for Los Angeles Lawyer on his former role as the chair of the LA County Bar Association’s State Appellate Judicial Evaluation Committee, which evaluates candidates submitted by the governor for possible nomination to the appellate ...


09.03.19

Columns: Isn’t That Special?

Manatt’s Benjamin Shatz, a partner in the firm’s appellate practice, wrote for the Daily Journal on the California Board of Legal Specialization and potential upcoming changes to the board.He noted that the board recognizes 11 different legal specialty certifications, including ...


08.06.19

Columns: Stray Dancing

“The narrowing of issues and limitation to original theories and arguments as a case ascends the appellate ladder would seem to be a bedrock principle. And yet … We wouldn’t be raising this general proposition at all unless there were exceptions.”  


05.07.19

Abbreviated Justice

“California courts generally decide appeals with written decisions, but memorandum opinions do exist under California law. The big payoff in an appeal is the court’s opinion.”  


03.06.19

Invisible Justice

“The ordinary appellate path is well-worn: First comes paper pushing (i.e., filing the notice of appeal, record designations, and otherwise ‘perfecting’ the appeal), followed by paper production (i.e., brief writing), then oral argument, and finally the big payoff, the written ...


02.12.19

Holy, Holey Rules!

“The primal myth runs thusly: In the beginning, chaos blanketed the universe of California appeals. Papers were filed whenever, in whatever format, and the whims of lawyers and caprices of judges reigned. Then came the revered savior Bernie (that’s Witkin, not Sanders) to impose order ...


01.02.19

Walking Dead Appeals

“Happy New Year! As our annual circle restarts, your billable hours or collections figures have reset to zero, and we begin anew. Like people, litigation and appeals have lifecycles too. They are born with complaints—or notices of appeal—and die with final judgments—or ...


12.04.18

Free Money!

“Preface. It’s the time of year when we would all enjoy just a little bit of extra moolah to spread end-of-the-year holiday cheer. And so this month’s column is no joke or hyperbole: Following the steps outlined in this article is likely to actually put money—honest to ...


11.06.18

How Golden Is Silence?

“A concept learned early in law school is that silence is not acquiescence. This idea appears in California’s jury instructions, CACI 310, which says that if a party does not respond to an offer, then that inaction is not deemed an acceptance, unless the parties understood silence to be ...