A litigation boutique based in Oakland, California, representing plaintiffs and defendants in complex civil litigation.
Josephine Petrick Featured in Law360 Article “California Cases to Watch in 2026”
Norton Law Firm complex litigation partner Josephine Petrick, a California State Bar-Certified Appellate Specialist, continues to follow multiple high-profile cases pending before the California Supreme Court. She offered her analysis about several cases that could reshape consumer law, arbitration law, and access to justice, as featured in the Law360 article “California Cases to Watch in 2026.”
Lathrop v. Thor Motor Coach – Will the Court allow forum-selection clauses that send consumers out of state when California’s statutory protections are at stake? This could fundamentally reshape consumer contracts across industries.
Fuentes v. Empire Nissan – The Court will decide whether an “illegible” arbitration agreement is enforceable, with potential industry-wide impact on how dealerships structure dispute-resolution provisions.
Family Violence Appellate Project v. Superior Court – Can California constitutionally ban electronic recording of hearings when no court reporter is available and litigants can’t afford one? The Norton Law Firm filed an amicus brief supporting the petitioners. The outcome could reshape appellate access for thousands of low-income and self-represented litigants, particularly in domestic violence matters.
Kjoller v. Superior Court (petition) – Should prosecutors face sanctions for submitting AI-generated briefs containing hallucinated citations? The Court has an opportunity to send a clear signal about professional responsibility in the AI era while avoiding rules that could chill technology’s potential to expand access to justice.
To read “California Cases to Watch in 2026” in Law360, please click here. (Subscription may be required.)