The League of California Cities and the California Redevelopment Association filed a petition in the California Supreme Court Monday challenging the constitutionality of recent legislation affecting redevelopment agencies in the state. Assembly Bills AB1x26 and 27 were signed into law along with the state budget in June. According to the petition, both violate Proposition 22, a constitutional amendment passed by California voters in November 2010. “AB1x26 eliminates redevelopment agencies,” Kathy Fairbanks, California Redevelopment Association representative, said in a press release. “AB1x27 allows agencies to continue to exist (albeit on life support) if they agree to pay their share o

Q. My stepdaughter just turned 18. We wanted to do a stepparent adoption, but her  father wouldn’t permit it. She doesn’t get along with her father (it’s a long story) and now that she’s 18, we heard that we can do an “adult adoption” without his permission. Can we do this? How would we do it? Fred A. Adult adoption is possible. In fact, it’s a pretty common question here at the law library—so much so that we created a step-by-step guide called “Adult Adoption in California” with instructions and sample forms. An adult adoption is when someone adopts a person who is 18 or over and not related to them. It changes the legal rights of both of you, and severs the existing relationship with

--This is a collaboration by Angelina Turner and Becky Morgan.-- Have you ever been driving down the freeway and noticed that a section is named after someone? A portion of Hwy-65 is dedicated to fallen Officer Mark A. White; or historical figures like the Donner Party have Donner Pass? Cities of all sizes have at least one building named after someone that gave a measurable contribution to their community or accomplished something great: the Crocker Art Museum, Sutter’s Fort, or on a grander scale, the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building or the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. Colleges name dorms, gymnasiums and lecture halls, to honor a large donation or because of an invaluable impress