SJCBA News

The San Joaquin County Bar Association is offering a FREE Basic Mediation Training starting May 8, 2026. This dynamic program combines in-person and online sessions to teach core mediation skills, including effective communication and conflict de-escalation.

Are you interested in learning how to effectively communicate, deescalate conflicts, and promote peace in your community? The San Joaquin County Bar Association (SJCBA) Dispute Resolution Program is offering a FREE Basic Mediation Training program beginning on April 30, 2025.

I am a millennial family law attorney. I married late in life, and I have a lot of friends who are either taking their time getting to the altar or opting out of marriage altogether. I hear it often: the community property laws are oppressive, divorce is expensive, prenups aren’t romantic, and why does my love need a label? Conventional wisdom says that you are saving yourself stress, money, and potentially an emotional court case by opting out of marriage. We’ll just stay together as long as it feels right and then, if it ends, we will peacefully go our separate ways.

Right?? Well…. Maybe.

Once we get our bar cards, people think we know everything about everything, and pepper us with questions on all aspects and arenas of law.

So, what do you do when you get a call from a friend in jail, Court is tomorrow, and there’s no time to consult with another attorney? Can you help?

“In an emergency a lawyer may give advice or assistance in a matter in which the lawyer does not have the skill ordinarily required if referral to, or association or consultation with, another lawyer would be impractical. Assistance in an emergency must be limited to that reasonably* necessary in the circumstances.”

This article should familiarize you with the basic themes in criminal court: felony vs. misdemeanor, arraignment, types of plea, time waivers, reading and advisement of the charges, and review of custody status.