How Stare Decisis Affects Us All  With the recent string of controversial decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court that have stunned the nation, it is prudent and in the interests of the public to analyze the court’s methodology in determining 303 Creative LLC v Elenis, S.B. 4, and the Dobb’s decision. The ethical concerns that have arisen from the court’s ruling are not the main concern of this article. This article intends to address the ways in which the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions have broken with a long-standing precedent; in other words, the fracturing of stare decisis as a cor ..read more

What does Library Week mean to you?   Working in a library presents many rewards and challenges. Libraries have entered the national discourse regarding the content of their materials, the role of librarians, and the purpose of libraries in the modern era. It is not to say that these debates are unimportant, but a sensational idea of libraries is being fought over, while the day-to-day reality of library management is left behind. Real people, with a real passion for increasing access to knowledge are pushed to the side and treated as pawns in these abstract political debates. As the Amer ..read more

We are delighted to have Lexis+ available at RCLL. What is Lexis+?   Like Lexis Advance, Lexis+ functions as a database platform that allows lawyers, litigators, and legal researchers access to an expansive collection of legal resources. Lexis+ adds a few nifty features that build on and enhance the existing legal research platform. For starters, it allows users to increase the precision of their searches for resources. To help users unfamiliar with legal terminology, Lexis+ includes a natural language search, which, in a similar vein to Google, allows users to type questions into th ..read more

How Leap Year and the Law co-exist, and more…  What is a Leap Year?    As the new year flies by, 2024’s February greets us with a unique surprise because it is a Leap Year! This astronomical phenomenon, on occasion, poses fascinating questions and sparks complex debates on how the law should accommodate it. Leap Year is a year with an extra day added to the calendar year. The purpose of this inclusion is to synchronize the seasonal and astronomical calendars. The duration of a year, according to the seasonal calendar, consists of 365 days. However, its length, according to ..read more

Do you own a mobile home that is parked on land, which you lease from a mobile home park? If so, you’re not alone. According to the California Department of Housing and Community Development, as of Jun 1, 2023, there are 5,908 Mobile home and RV Parks in the state of California, which accommodate about 375,438 mobile home spaces. Mobile homes are proving to be a more affordable option for housing in the state, and lawmakers are drafting laws to deal with the specificities of mobile home living.   Mobile homes do not pertain to the exact same conditions that current landlord-tenant law cov ..read more

To close out each year, the Riverside County Law Library hosts a dinner wherein members of the board and staff from all three branches are invited and treated to an upscale dining experience. Although I have worked at RCLL for several years, this was my first opportunity to attend the annual Holiday dinner. From everyone’s perspective, this was definitely a year to remember, from the quality of the food and the effort of the staff who organized it. A system of rotation governs the decision as to which branch will host the annual dinner. In 2022, Riverside carried the torch, and this year it wa ..read more

From the Riverside County Law Library, we hope you had a wonderful weekend full of family and food. Here are some responses from the staff when asked about their favorite traditions associated with Thanksgiving: One of our newest employees James said,” my favorite thanksgiving tradition is making pies and delivering them to friends and family.” A display of his friendliness that shines through in his new line of work as a library assistant!   Our other new recruit, Olivia, said, “playing board games with my family after dinner has been a tradition for as long as I can remember.”   ..read more

In the fast-paced world of professional life, it’s essential to take a step back, recharge, and reconnect with colleagues. Our recent staff retreat was the perfect blend of learning, bonding, and fun! With a Real Colors Workshop, a Barbie-themed ambiance, abundant food, and an eye-opening tour of the District Attorney’s and Public Defender’s offices, it was an event to remember.  The journey started with our Riverside and Temecula staff members taking an adventurous drive out to Indio to partake in our retreat. Road trips, no matter how short or long, give individuals time to get to know ..read more

America’s political sphere is characterized today by a unique combination of an all-time high in civic participation by the populace, and an all-time high in distrust for those same institutions. During the 2020 election, an unprecedented 66.9% of eligible voters participated in the election [1]. However, In 2022, it was reported that only 25% of the population have a great deal of confidence in the Supreme Court [2]. Perhaps, these trends mark a healthy direction in our democracy towards an awareness of social ills, and a mind towards the reform of those institutions responsible for said ills ..read more

Hello! Welcome to the second installment in the Database Spotlight blog series! This month, I want to highlight a database that contains a wealth of information. This database describes itself as the “premier online research platform that provides more than 208 million pages of multidisciplinary periodicals, essential government documents, international resources, case law, and much more [1].” Of course, I’m talking about HeinOnline! I like to tell people that HeinOnline is one of those “hidden gem” type databases. It’s a lesser-known platform (unlike the popular Westlaw and Lexis databases ..read more