AI is everywhere. And if you’re involved in a probate, trust, or estate dispute, there’s a good chance you’ve already wondered whether you should be using it to help with your case.
It’s a fair question.  One we now routinely hear from clients. The answer is yes, AI can help. But only if you use it the right way. That’s why we’re excited to release a new free resource for clients and anyone else navigating an Arizona probate or trust matter: the Berk Law Group AI Client Tipsheet.
You can access it here: https://berklawgroup.com/tools/ai-client-tipsheet/
Why we built it
Public…
Continue Reading Announcing the Berk Law Group AI Client Tipsheet: How to Use AI Safely When You’re in a Probate or Trust Dispute

Article Summary

  • The Phoenix metro area is home to a growing fleet of driverless Waymo vehicles. 
  • Accidents with pedestrians and other vehicles involve unique factors compared to accidents involving vehicles with human drivers.
  • A driverless accident claim may require access to tech-related evidence that is easier to get with the help of an experienced personal injury attorney.

If you live in Arizona’s Phoenix metro area and you haven’t yet seen a driverless Waymo vehicle on the road, you will soon. It’s just a matter of time. They seem to be everywhere, cruising along without a human at the wheel. 
Waymo’s…
Continue Reading Hit By A Waymo in Arizona: Here’s What to Do

Key Takeaways

  • Arizona misdemeanor charges may appear on employment background checks.
  • Employers can deny a position when a misdemeanor reasonably relates to the role.
  • Arizona law bars private employers from obtaining criminal histories from the Central State Repository.
  • Arizona employers must obtain written consent before running a background check.
  • Records sealed or set aside under Arizona law generally do not require disclosure.

Facing a misdemeanor charge in Arizona raises immediate questions about what the future holds. Among the most pressing concerns for Glendale residents: Can you get a job with a misdemeanor on your record? The answer varies based on…
Continue Reading How Can a Misdemeanor Charge Affect Employment?

On a daily basis, I review information about potential clients and their medical treatment for the purpose of determining if they have an economically viable case I can help them with. An economically viable medical malpractice case is one in which there is a good chance to be successful and to recover enough money to make the risks of suit worth taking. I have previously blogged about the elements necessary for an economically viable medical malpractice case. You can find some of those posts here, here, and here. See if you can apply those elements to this…
Continue Reading Case Or No Case?

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Under Arizona Revised Statutes § 44-1453, it is illegal when “a person who knowingly and with intent to sell or distribute uses, displays, advertises, distributes, offers for sale, sells or possesses any item that bears a counterfeit mark or any service that is identified by a counterfeit mark.”
 
This law applies to a wide range of products, including:
 …
Continue Reading What You Need to Know About Counterfeit Merchandise Charges

On April 15, 2026, the Arizona Court of Appeals issued a published opinion in Gouveia v. Gruler, No. 1 CA-CV 25-0402 PB.  This is an adult-guardianship dispute worth a careful read for every family member, guardian, and attorney involved in a guardianship case. The decision tackles three questions that come up repeatedly in our probate practice: (1) can a settlement agreement resolve a guardianship dispute; (2) when someone seeks contact with a protected person, who actually decides what’s in that person’s best interests; and (3) what happens when the superior court leans too far on the sitting guardian’s judgment?
Continue Reading Why the Court Can’t Rubber-Stamp a Guardian’s Decision: Lessons from Gouveia v. Gruler

Your law firm website is marketing around the clock. But is it staying within ethical bounds while you sleep? From chatbots to contact forms to AI-generated content, here’s exactly where the line gets crossed – and how to make sure yours never does.
The post The Ethical Red Line in Digital Law Firm Marketing appeared first on LawLytics.
Continue Reading The Ethical Red Line in Digital Law Firm Marketing

Key Takeaways

  • Arizona law does not require a weapon or serious injury for an assault charge.
  • Intentionally or knowingly causing physical injury constitutes class 1 misdemeanor assault.
  • Intentionally placing another in reasonable fear of imminent physical harm constitutes class 2 assault.
  • Knowingly touching another with intent to insult or provoke constitutes class 3 misdemeanor assault.
  • Prosecutors must prove the required mental state beyond a reasonable doubt.

Simple confrontations can escalate into criminal charges faster than most people expect. At The Law Offices of John Phebus, we regularly represent Arizona residents charged under ARS 13-1203, a statute governing simple…
Continue Reading How Arizona Defines Simple Assault Under ARS 13-1203

Marc Galanter, a giant in the field of dispute resolution scholarship, passed away on April 14 at the age of 95.
Here is an excerpt from the announcement by University of Wisconsin Law School Dean Daniel P. Tokaji (reprinted with permission):
As many of you know, Marc was the John and Rylla Bosshard Professor of Law and South Asian Studies, the author of many books and articles, and a treasured member of the Law School community.  Marc was a legendary scholar and teacher, to such a degree that it’s hard to know where to begin in summarizing his life’s work. …
Continue Reading Marc Galanter

Article Summary

  • Hit-and-run accidents are common in Arizona, and the state ranks third in the nation for hit-and-run fatalities.
  • Damages and injuries from hit-and-run accidents can be serious and victims have legal options for compensation.
  • Although many hit-and-run cases go unsolved, the support of a personal injury attorney helps victims understand all of their legal options.

Hit-and-run car accidents are not only common in Arizona, but they can be deadly. In fact, the state ranks third in the nation for its rate of hit-and-run fatalities. In 2024 alone, the state saw 74 fatalities from hit-and-run collisions.
That data alone illustrates…
Continue Reading What Percent of Hit-and-Run Cases Are Solved?

AWARD UPHELD IN W.VA. CAISSON DISPUTE Federal court reinforces high bar for overturning arbitration In 2018, the West Virginia Department of Highways (DOH) awarded a contract for construction of a section of King Coal Highway in Southern West Virginia just north of the intersection of the Kentucky and Virginia borders.  Continue reading…
The post Roads & Bridges | Award Upheld in W. Va. Caisson Dispute appeared first on Heavy Construction Law Blog | Jonathan Straw.
Continue Reading Roads & Bridges | Award Upheld in W. Va. Caisson Dispute

Interviews are the heart of a Title IX investigation—and the backgrounds and experiences of the people who sit across from you will vary widely. Some of those individuals may be neurodivergent. Understanding how neurological differences affect witness interviews is essential to conducting a fair and thorough investigation.Key TermsBefore diving in, it helps to establish a shared vocabulary:

  • Neurodiversity – A nonmedical umbrella term that recognizes neurological differences among people.
  • Neurotypical – A descriptive term for individuals whose brains process information in a way considered typical for their age.
  • Neurodivergent – A descriptive term for individuals whose brains process

…
Continue Reading Interviewing Neurodivergent Witnesses in Title IX Investigations

There is a moment all professionals know, even though we never talk about it. You are working. You could cut the corner on the project in front of you. You could let the small thing slide. You could tell yourself it doesn’t really matter, because who would ever know? That moment is, in many ways, the most important moment of your professional life because your character is not built in the big, obvious, public moments. It is built in the quiet ones. The ones where the only witness is you.

We spend a lot of time in business worrying about…
Continue Reading Your Reputation Is Just Your Private Choices, Made Public

The ABA Dispute Resolution Section, AAA and ACR are exploring potential updates to the Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators (“Model Standards”) (2005). They invite your input to help identify areas that may need clarification, modernization, or further guidance based on today’s mediation practices. Your responses will remain confidential and will directly inform the review process. Thank you for contributing your voice to this important discussion.
As a member of the Advisory Committee for the revision of the Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators, I would invite anyone with a perspective on the Model Standards to fill out the following brief…
Continue Reading Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators (update – survey)

Online defamation is the digital version of libel; it occurs when false statements are published on the internet that harm a person’s or business’s reputation.

Damaging content can quickly spread online, making early identification of defamatory statements important. It’s crucial to know when a post crosses the legal line, allowing you to act quickly and preserve your rights. 
A defamation lawyer in Arizona can assess whether harmful online content meets the legal threshold for defamation and can help to prevent further reputational damage. 
The Anatomy of Online Defamation
Understanding the Arizona defamation elements in an online post can determine whether…
Continue Reading How to Identify Online Defamation Before It Escalates