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W ORK L I F E B A L ANC E - cont. from page 3a whole and allow you to make a lasting impact onsociety, the law, and the State which you serve.In addition to doing such important work, you are ableto interact with a diverse body of people and growwithin the position to offer more and assist your team.There are more departments to provide support andthere is time for professional development in theseroles. In addition, many find the camaraderie andpassion of a shared vision and goals supersedes thereward of extra money the private sector can provide.Not only does your work have meaning and legal impact,but you are also able to inject more meaning into yourwork life by assisting with pro bono work and volunteeropportunities afforded by the work-life balance offeredby government positions. While working in the privatesector may often have you checking your email wellinto the night and having at least a sixty-hour weekas a basic tenet of employment, there is generally amore standard eight-hour workday in government workthat allows you to spend more time with family, doingcharitable work, or attending additional courses forself-improvement and career advancement.Depending on your personality and the type of workyou would like to do, there are a plethora of positionsavailable for jobseekers. The CalCareers website(https://www.calcareers.ca.gov/) is the main job sitewhere you may search for postings and get alertswhen your resume matches an open position. Whilethe hiring process is lengthy and in-depth, includingexams, background checks, and fingerprinting, onceyou make it through the vetting process, you can besure you have joined a group of amazing individualswho have also undergone the same rigorousassessment and evaluation process. This sessionwas recorded and is available for viewing at the ILTAwebsite. For more information, and to sign up, pleasesee: https://www.iltanet.org/.Cynthia Montoya recently joined the California Department of Justice as aneDiscovery Specialist. Having obtained her CEDS credential, CAS in Discovery,and ACP in eDiscovery, Discovery, and Trial Practice, she is currently learningRelativity and is looking forward to becoming certified. Having earned herdegree at UCLA, she maintains the Bruin philosophy of being a life-longlearner, and as a proponent of continuing education, she reads, listens toaudiobooks, and attends webinars. She encourages all students of life tokeep learning and reaching for their goals incessantly and broadening theirhorizons as often as possible. GVOLUME 49 / ISSUE 08 / AUGUST 2021 LAPA4

TH E INSI D E B I ZA monthly column where sponsors and/or vendors share helpful hints2021 SummerLegal JobUpdateby Jennifer Evens – Co-Founder ofTalent Access SolutionsYou know the job market is hotwhen the LA Times runs a piece titled – Welcometo the Summer of Quitting; Why Many of Us areSaying Goodbye to Our Jobs (June 14, 2021). Iam sure many have felt it: the amplified outreachby recruiters, increased hiring within their law firms,constant chatter amongst colleagues.on why you want to make a change. Here aresome questions to consider: How often do you think about quitting your job? Have you felt like quitting for 6-months or more? Do you feel that your contributions are valued? Are you motivated to go to work 4-out-5 days a week? Does your work and your team inspire you? Is your current compensation in line with the market?If you want to consider a career move, what you canexpect?Hybrid Work Schedule- Although most law firms arereluctant to commit to a formalized hybrid policy justyet, most are saying they expect some hybrid modelin the future.As noted in the LA Times, the Bureau of LaborStatistics (BLS) reported 3.9 million people quit theirjobs in April 2021 – this is the highest quit rate sincethe BLS started collecting the data in 2000. Theprofessional and business services sector saw thesecond-highest quit rate behind retail/warehouse/food services; June’s unemployment rate for thesector decreased to 5.2% from 6.7% in March of2021. As of August 3, 2021, LinkedIn had 1,184 LACounty paralegal open job postings.Interviews- Firms are being smart and patient in theirprocess - most job offers are extended after threeto four interviews. They are hiring for culture fit andskills. The good thing is now most interviews areconducted over Zoom/Teams, eliminating the needto travel and take time away from the office.Firms have begun to discuss a return to office – be itpart-time, voluntary, or a full-time basis. Blame it onCovid or just bad timing, but firms are now reportingincreased retirements and relocations. Combinedwith the legal industry reporting historical revenuefor 2020 and aggressive 2021 lateral hiring, it is notsurprising we are seeing a surge in legal opportunities.Remote On-Boarding- Firms have continued toperfect the online onboarding experience: they haveenhanced techonology, added collaboration tools,and peer mentoring programs to ensure a positiveexperience.So, who is hiring? Well, everyone. In Q4 of 2020,we had increased demand for litigation and estateplanning professionals; now, we are experiencing arush in hiring for M&A and Real Estate paralegals.We have yet to see a need for more restructuringparalegals; however, that is expected to change asstimulus programs end. The reality is the pandemichas generated more legal work across multiplepractice areas, and law firms need qualified talent.So, what does that mean for the professionalparalegal? Is now the time to leverage themarket and make a change? Well, it dependsOut-of-Area Competition- Attorney teams previouslywedded to hiring local paralegals are now morecomfortable working with others remotely. Firms areopen to hiring in other offices more than ever before.In closing, this is a Summer of great prospects for thelegal professional. If you have been comtemplating acareer move, now is the time to explore and havesome confidential conversations. There are somegreat opportunities to be had!Contact Info: nifer Evans, CSP, has 30 years of experience in the legal recruitingindustry. She enjoys the opportunity to speak with intelligent & dynamiclaw professionals and partners with them in their career management andgrowth initiatives. She is a regular presenter on topics that help individualsenhance their profiles on professional social media platforms. Jennifer is cofounder of Talent Access Solutions and formerly was co-owner of DavidsonLegal Staffing, a well-known CA search firm that Special Counsel purchasedin 2007. GVOLUME 49 / ISSUE 08 / AUGUST 2021 LAPA5

L A P A ’ S CROSS W OR D P U Z Z L E123456789Guess the Cluesfor Legal-ThemedMovies and Books!10Across:Down:411992 movie which has one of the top movie quotes of alltime: “You can’t handle the truth!”62018 documentary that chronicles the career of SupremeCourt Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.Author who has several movie adaptions of his novels such2Atticus Finch was a in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”as “The Client.”31957 classic courtroom drama directed by Sidney Lumet.7“Presumed ” a novel by Scott Turow.5The author of “The Lincoln Lawyer”81992 film about a cousin who is a lawyer.92001 movie “Legally ”10 1993 American legal drama film directed by JonathanDemme and starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington.ANSWER KEY FOUND ON PAGE 11VOLUME 49 / ISSUE 08 / AUGUST 2021 LAPA6

A n Ow n e r ’ s P e r s pe c t i veTenantInspections,TenantScreenings & ALesson Learnedby Travis Chow – LAPA Executive Vice PresidentIt is understandable with the pandemic not yet at itsend that homeowners are reluctant to enter tenants’homes. And vice versa -- tenants don’t want peoplein their homes. Personal space and privacy areimportant and need to be respected by homeowners.Homeowners must remember that tenants pay rent,and that entitles them to exclusive possession oftheir space.Typically, general routine inspections are consideredprohibited. But there must be balance. Homeownersshould be encouraged to inspect tenants’ homes,but only to protect both the tenant and the building.Homeowners should always try communicating andworking with their tenants to schedule a convenienttime to inspect the interior during an agreed time.Interior InspectionsIn 1975, the California legislature limited the right ofentry by a homeowner to four categories by enactingCivil Code Section 1954. No notice to the tenant isneeded if a homeowner must enter a unit due to anemergency, abandonment, to make agreed repairs orby court order.An emergency is anything that affects the healthand safety of the tenant or to protect the unit fromdamage (i.e., fire). To determine abandonment, wemust use the reasonable person test, one in whicha reasonable person would believe that the tenanthad abandoned the premises. Some of the signsof abandoned property includes removal of largefurniture, utilities being turned off, if mail is pilingup or has been forwarded, or if the tenant has notresponded to any communication. It would be good forthe homeowner to take photos or video to documententering the unit. The third manner of entry is if thetenant and the homeowner agreed to make repairs.The last way is by Court order which is not appealingto most homeowners because it involves litigationand can be costly. If a Court order is granted, theSheriff will enforce the order.Notice of Entry Must Be Specificand In Good FaithIf the homeowner wants to enter the tenant’s homeand it is not for one of the four categories above, theymust give at least twenty-four hours written noticeunder Civil Code Section 1954(d)(2). A notice forjust a general inspection is not good enough andis not really made in good faith. The homeownercannot just go into the unit and start taking picturesof personal items in a tenant’s bedroom for example.Civil Code Section 1954(c) says that the “landlordmay not abuse the right of access or use it to harassthe tenant.”The notice must clarify the actual purpose forentry and entry must occur during business hours.The notice must state a valid reason to inspect theinterior such as for agreed repairs, plumbing or leaks,electrical wiring, or testing of smoke/carbon monoxidedetectors. Civil Code Section 1940.5 further allowsa homeowner to enter the premises to inspect thetenant’s waterbed. Then the homeowner must followup on what needs to be addressed and actual makethe repairs or modifications.Case Study: A Lesson LearnedIn the case of, Kaiser v. Allstate Indem. Co., 307 Neb.562 (2020), the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled thatdamages caused by a tenant who was manufacturingmethamphetamine in a rental unit were excluded fromcoverage by the homeowner’s rental insurance policy.A homeowner rented out a unit to tenants whoused and manufactured methamphetamine. Thehomeowner never did any inspections of the rentalunit. The homeowner received a report from aneighbor that the rental unit was being used for illegaldrug activity. The homeowner eventually confirmedthat the tenant was indeed using and manufacturingdrugs in the unit. The homeowner was able to get thetenants to surrender the property.continued on page 8VOLUME 49 / ISSUE 08 / AUGUST 2021 LAPA7

E V E NTS – IN TH E TI M E O F CO V I D - 1 9Looking Forward DuringCOVID-19by Deena Bowman – LAPA Directorback open for in-person visits and outdoor eventssuch as the theater under the stars performance ofLizstrata. However, the center is still offering onlineevents and podcasts. Check out the offerings for bothplaces at www.getty.edu.With vaccines currently being distributed and thecounty restrictions being eased, we’re all slowlyacclimating back to “normal.” In the meantime, theGetty Center and the J. Paul Getty Museum openthis month with virtual and in-person events. Andthe Fair at Santa Anita Park is featuring live musicalperformances. Check out the suggestions to enjoythe month of August.The Fair at Santa Anita ParkJuly 29 – August 22The Fair at Santa Anita Park will feature live musicalperformances completely free with fair admission.Experience amazing artists daily, along with over 50rides and attractions, dog stunt shows, motocrossstunt shows and more. For offerings see https://statefairent.com/entertainment/. GThe Getty Center & the J. Paul Getty MuseumThe Getty Center and the J. Paul Getty Museum areA n Ow n e r ’ s P e r s pe c t i ve - cont. from page 7The homeowner retained experts to test and remediateall the damage. Testing showed methamphetaminevapor was absorbed in flooring, HVAC equipment,light fixtures among other areas of the home. Thehomeowner was forced to make extensive repairs tothe unit and filed a claim under his rental insurancepolicy alleging that tenants damaged rental house byproducing or using drugs.Insurance denied coverage under the rental insurancepolicy because the policy specifically excludeddamages caused by contaminants or pollutants. TheCourt rejected the homeowner’s argument that thedamage was caused by an act of vandalism whichwas excepted from exclusion under the policy. Hadthe homeowner been more proactive in inspecting theunit at the first suspicion of illegal activity, perhapsextensive damage could have been avoided.Tenant Screening Is Also ImportantJust like with tenant inspections, homeowners mustalso be careful with tenant screenings. California hasone of the strongest fair housing laws in the nation.According to the California Department of FairEmployment and Housing, “Fair Employment andHousing Act prohibits those engaged in the housingbusiness – landlords, real estate agents, homesellers, builders, mortgage lenders, among others –from discriminating against tenants or homeowners.”It is illegal to discriminate against individuals based onthe following: source of income, sexual orientations,marital status, age, arbitrary characteristics, genderidentify, gender expression, race, color, nationalorigin, religion, sex, handicap, ancestry, citizenship,genetic information, immigration status, primarylanguage, or physical appearance.continued on page 9VOLUME 49 / ISSUE 08 / AUGUST 2021 LAPA8

L A P A R E A D IN G CORN E RA recurring column that reviews books focusing on voices and subjects thatreflect the diversity of the human experienceby Deena Bowman – LAPA DirectorBig Friendship:How We KeepEach Other Closeby Aminatou Sow andAnn FriedmanAminatou Sow and AnnFriedman’s “Big Friendship”was sparked when they metat a Gossip Girl viewing party. From then on, Sow’sand Friedman’s friendship flourished -- creating thetrademarked “Shine Theory” to their successfulpodcast, “Call Your Girlfriend.” However, the stressover the years of maintaining their now very publicfriendship caused it to unravel along the way. In asociety that primarily values romantic and familialrelationships, Sow and Friedman found themselves inunfamiliar waters, trying to salvage their friendship.Out of their struggle to save their “Big Friendship” isthis memoir and manifesto on nurturing meaningfulfriendships in our lives in good times and bad.2020, 234 Pages, Simon & Schuster. 26.00 Hardcover. Also availablefor check out from the Los Angeles Public Library in book, E-Book, andE-Audiobook.Deena Bowman currently is a contract paralegal at the U.S. Attorney’s Office indowntown Los Angeles, providing support to the Federal prosecutors in the AssetForfeiture Section. Deena earned her paralegal certificate from the University ofWest Los Angeles. GA n Ow n e r ’ s P e r s pe c t i ve - cont. from page 8However, homeowners can screen tenants under thefollowing conditions: using a ratio of total incomecompared to the rent to determine ability to pay, creditreport, past bankruptcies and evictions, and violentcrime history (Some cities such as Oakland, Berkeleyand San Francisco have placed restrictions on criminalbackground checks on prospective tenants).Tenant screening is very important and is worth theextra work and costs. Screening is not a guaranteeobviously, but it can help predict future behavior.A failure to screen properly can also expose thehomeowner to liability if the tenant does anythingillegal on the property. As a homeowner you wanta tenant that pays the rent on time, is reliable, isresponsible and will take care of the unit. Screeningskeep neighboring tenants safe and give the homeownerpeace of mind.Travis Chow is currently the Civil Litigation and Trial Paralegal at Collins CollinsLLP. Before that, he freelanced at several private practice firms in SouthernCalifornia. Travis has been a Paralegal for over thirteen years. He is a CertifiedSocial Media Intelligence Expert and Certified Cyber Intelligence Professional.He is also a California Licensed Realtor and Notary Public. With the help ofWalter T. Shatford and San Gabriel Valley Bar Association Legal Scholarship,he earned his Paralegal Certificate from Pasadena City College along withan associate degree in Social Behavioral Science, Humanities and ParalegalStudies. He then earned his Paralegal Certificate and Bachelor’s degree fromthe University of La Verne in Legal Studies. Travis is also an active participant inthe Landau Lawyers Basketball League. GConclusionBe careful that inspection notices and tenant screeningsdo not violate current laws. But both are necessary toprotect the homeowner’s property. It is best to haveopen communication with your tenant -- it will makethings work a lot smoother. Remember, well-maintainedhomes make good tenants want to stay.VOLUME 49 / ISSUE 08 / AUGUST 2021 LAPA9

LL AAPPAA COOKINCOOKIN GG CCUUBB ICIC LL EE(you can eat right away but the broccoli is crisp andhas less of the traditional texture).Broccoli SaladSubmitted by Francisco Gutierrez – LAPA VP of Membership & PolicyPrep Time: 75 minutesCook Time: 0 minutesYield: 6 1xDiet: Vegan3. Meanwhile, place the sunflower seeds, soy sauce,sugar, smoked paprika, and 2 pinches kosher saltin a skillet. Heat over medium low heat and sautéfor about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, untilthey are sticky and most of the liquid is evaporated,taking care that they do not burn and scraping anysticky bits from the bottom of the pan. When they aresticky and darkened in color (and may have clumpedtogether), remove from the heat and spread them ontoparchment paper in a single layer and allow them todry until serving, about 10 minutes.4. When ready to serve, top the salad with thesunflower seeds. GA new and improved take on the classic broccolisalad! Crunchy and savory sweet, it stars broccoli,raisins, and a flavor-popping dressing.Ingredients1 1/2 to 2 pounds broccoli on the stalk, enoughfor 8 cups florets1 cup sliced red onion1 carrot, julienned or grated1/2 cup raisins1/2 cup mayonnaise (vegan mayo as needed)3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar1 tablespoon sugar or maple syrup2 teaspoon Dijon mustardKey Lime PieSubmitted by Francisco Gutierrez – LAPA VP of Membership & Policy1 teaspoon kosher saltIngredientsfor the crustFor the topping1 ½ C graham cracker crumbs1/4 cup sunflower seeds6 T butter (melted)1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamarifor the filling1 tablespoon maple syrup or sugar28

Deena Bowman currently is a contract paralegal at the U.S. Attorney's Office in downtown Los Angeles, providing support to the Federal prosecutors in the Asset Forfeiture Section. Deena earned her paralegal certificate from the University of West Los Angeles. Deena has been a dedicated member of the Los Angeles