When is it appropriate to use a noun as an adjective?

Question

I have some trouble figuring out when it is appropriate to use a noun as an adjective and when it is appropriate to use a possessive.

For example:

One out of five Fortune 500 companies is a Homeland Bank's client.
One out of five Fortune 500 companies is a Homeland Bank client.

I would think the first sentence is the better sentence, but I have seen the second one being used also

Driving 70 miles per hour in a 65 miles per hour zone is a violation of California traffic law.
Driving 70 miles per hour in a 65 miles per hour zone is a violation of California's traffic law.

I think each sentence in the two pairs means the same thing as the other sentence, but when is it appropriate not to use the possessive and just use the noun as an adjective?

Thanks

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

In 'Homeland Bank client' and 'California traffic law', both nouns are much better as adjectives. Although we know that the genitive has other uses, I would still save possessive for ownership as much as possible. The bank does not own its clients and California does not own its laws. Why waste an apostrophe and a space when it is unnecessary?

The possessive here would have greater rationale if the bank and the state showed a greater sense of possession, as in 'California's rivers are dying' or 'Homeland Bank's ad campaigns are sexist'. We can see that California has both rivers and laws, but somehow the rivers are more organically part of the state.

I admit it is not a clear line of demarkation, but I would exercise Occam's razor and minimize if it seems clear without the 's.

When is it appropriate to use a noun as an adjective?

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