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.  With a $2.7 trillion economy, it boasts the fifth largest economy in the world.

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. California is home to silicon valley, where companies like Google, Cisco, Apple and Adobe have headquarters, and it boasts the largest concentration of high-tech companies in the country. 

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.

California is a part of the Ninth Circuit, which has been at the center of many contentious legal battles regarding immigration, the Trump Administration’s travel ban litigation, issues of copyright brought by PETA and litigation on the Equal Pay Act.  California legislation and state court litigation can have an outsize impact on the rest of the country, and the National Law Review covers these cases and developments on a regular basis.