California
The state of California became a state on September 9, 1850, making it the 31st US state. Before being named a US state, it was referred to as the California Republic. With a total area of over 163,000 miles, it is the 3rd largest by area in the US, and with a population of nearly 40 million, it is the most populous state in the country.
The Pacific-Region state’s capital is Sacramento. And, the greater Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas, are the 2nd and 5th most populous urban-regions in the US. Los Angeles is the second most populous US city, falling behind New York. With a $2.7 trillion economy, it is larger than more than half of the remaining states in the country.
Popular culture, government policy, innovation, and a liberal-government make California a trendsetter for other US states in terms of legislation and government actions. The rise and origination of the internet, the original film industry, and entertainment are from California. And, it is diverse in terms of employment/economy, with major industries being in: film, entertainment, sports, pop culture, music, real estate, technology, and government industries, among others.
Native American tribes were the initial settlers of what is today known as California, before the 16th and 17th century European expeditions took place. Alta California was claimed by the Spanish Empire becoming a part of Mexico in 1821. After the war of independence, it was ceded to the US after the Mexican-American War, eventually becoming the 30th state in 1850.
The Gold Rush began in 1848 leading to economic and social change, emigration, and the eventual economic boom, and has never looked back. Its state Flag, the Historic Bear Flag, was raised by American Settlers revolting against Mexican Rule, and the Grizzly Bear was representative of the many seen throughout the state. It was adopted as the official state flag in 1911. The California Poppy is the state flower, and it is nicknamed the Golden State, commemorating the Gold Rush. The State Tree is the California Redwood.
California is an extremely liberal state. Both the Legislature and Congress currently have members from both parties. In addition to Republican and Democrat, there are four additional parties which can run for office in CA which are: Green Party, American Independent Party, Peace and Freedom Party, and the Libertarian Party. In recent elections, a majority of state-voters have supported the Democratic party.
California is home to Stanford Law School, which was the 2nd ranked law school in the country in 2017, and is home to University of California Berkeley and University of California Los Angeles School of Law, which ranked 12th and 18th respectively in 2017. Alcatraz Island, the Hollywood Sign, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Yosemite National Park, are among the many historical sites visitors are drawn to in the state annually.
The National Law Review covers several cases coming out of California including election news, Federal Agency news, California Labor Department News, updates on Proposition 65 regulations and other environmental issues, tax, bankruptcy, immigration, harassment lawsuits, and general state-news are among the cases covered on the site. Same sex marriage and cannabis legalization is covered by NLR, along with news coming out of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
