Women in Law: Where Equality and Equity Exist in Local Government As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said, "Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.  It shouldn’t be that women are the exception."  This three-women-panel of local government attorneys will discuss the transformation of what women in the male-dominated legal field looked like in the past to what women in the field look like now on a structural and policy level.  The presentation will discuss the shift...

How Legislation and Current Events have Changed the Public Records Landscape CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply. Managing requests for public records is hard. Staying organized, coordinating moving parts, and remaining compliant with evolving compliance mandates is no small task.  This presentation will discuss several rulings and pieces of legislation that have had a notable impact on those managing requests for public records: (1) How a single word like "Extraction"...

Local Authority, 2021 Legislative Sessions, and the Pandemic CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply. This webinar will look at the status of local government authority post-2021 Legislative sessions with a focus on the preemption of emergency powers, police funding, punitive protest laws, and other policies. Speaker: Benjamin D. Winig, LiJia Gong and Lindsay Wiley

What is Trending in the Federal Circuit Courts? CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply. This presentation will discuss the current trends in the federal circuit courts. Topics include issues related to homelessness, fines and fees, novel takings cases, and new social media cases.  This presentation will help put these emerging issues on your radar in case you find yourself facing one of these issues. Speaker: Amanda Karras

Back to Basics: Guide to Avoiding & Mitigating Construction Claims The construction industry has faced many unique challenges since the start of 2020. As the industry adjusts to the new “normal” way of working, it is important for construction project participants to maintain focus on the basic techniques that are effective in managing construction risks that are inherent to every construction project. This session will bring participants “back to basics” and provide simple techniques that can be applied every day...

Beyond Single-Family Residential: Addressing Diverse Community Housing Needs This session will present methods communities can use to address sprawl, affordability issues, and special housing needs of some community members. Topics will include non-standard housing types such as tiny homes and accessory dwelling units; addressing the needs of seniors; and group homes. Speaker: Roger Horner & Cathy Cunningham

Municipal Class Actions: When to Opt-Out and When to Lead or Stay in the Class?  Class action antitrust litigation is often the most cost-effective way to obtain damages when a municipal entity is harmed by anti-competitive corporate conduct.  In some instances, however, a municipality may do better to opt out of the class and become an active opt-out litigant.   Opt-out class members have more input into directing litigation strategy, and have the flexibility to settle without obtaining court approval.  Even...

Questions to an Ethics Hotline This presentation will cover questions regularly raised by local government lawyers about the Rules of Professional Conduct and discuss how and which Rules answer such questions.  The presentation will generally cover several of the ABA Model Rules having particular applicability to local government lawyers, including the Preamble and Scope and Rules 1.0 through 1.11, 1.13, 1.16, 1.18, Rules 3.1 through 3.5 and Rules 3.8 and 3.9, Rules 5.1 through 5.4 and Rules 8.3 and 8.4...

A Practical Guide on Condemnation Law from Planning to Trial This presentation serves as a practical guide for attorneys new to condemnation, covering aspects from planning for its use, including ensuring authority to condemn, the existence of a public purpose, considering alternatives, project costs, and political/community considerations; due diligence including determining if fee or easements, among others, are needed, performing title work review, surveying and environmental studies, and appraisal hiring and review; negotiation for needed parcels; and preparation for filing...

2021 Global Construction Disputes Report – How COVID-19 Has Impacted Projects The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing event affecting construction projects across the globe.  This webinar focuses on the impacts of the pandemic on the construction industry in 2020 and then considers how these factors will affect the industry in 2021 and beyond.    The webinar will also provide participants with tangible actions they can take to mitigate disputes on their projects that are affected by COVID-19. Speaker: Roy Cooper &...