The Classical Elements of Municipal Law: An Aristotelian Approach

Panel Topics

1. Brain Chemistry and the After-Effects. The Opioid Epidemic and National Settlement: What’s Next for California Local Governments?

   

   • Moderator:  Isaac Rosen, Committee Chair, Municipal Law Institute Committee, City Attorneys Department, League of California Cities
   • Panelist:
     • Carmen Rita Nevarez, MD, MPH, Director, California and National Overdose Prevention Networks
     • Louise Renne, Founding Partner, Renne Public Law Group, Former City Attorney, City and County of San Francisco
   • CLE Materials: 
     • Opioid Litigation – Probably the most complicated civil litigation ever!
     • California Opioid Safety Network PowerPoint

    

2. Earth – The Smart City: The Impacts of the Virtual Medium on Municipal Law Practice

   

   A conversation on the issues facing local governments when they embrace technology to provide government services and develop solutions to local government challenges.   This panel will provide both a legal and policy perspective, including how technology has transformed access to public records and meetings and the provision of basic city services, such as transportation and public safety.   

   • Moderators:  Kristen Steinke, Elaine Zhong, Darren Ziegler
   • Panelists:
     • Christine Wood, Best Best & Krieger, Advanced Records Center Director
     • Kate Kigongo, Senior Innovation Analyst, City of West Hollywood
     • Sam Petty, Deputy City Attorney, City of Los Angeles
     • Lydia Romero, City Manager, City of Lemon Grove
   • CLE Materials:
     • Getz v. County of El Dorado
     • Open Mobility Foundation - Privacy Guide for Cities
     • Sanchez v. LADOT
     • SmartLA 2028 - Smart City Strategy
     • WeHo Smart City Strategic Plan

    

3. Water, Water… Anywhere?!

   

   A look at how climate change, regulations and storage impact the availability of water to our cities.

   • Moderators:  Rob Ewing, Tiffany Israel, Dion O’Connell
   • Panelists:  
     • Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager and CEO, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
     • Marcia Scully, General Counsel, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
     • Steven O’Neill, Partner, Olivarez Madruga Lemieux O’Neill
     • Newsha K. Ajami, Ph.D., Chief Strategy and Development Officer for Research, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
   • CLE Materials:
     • Forty Years of California Water Policy - Timothy Quinn
     • The 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
     • Briefing for Municipal Law Institute PowerPoint
     • MLI Water Panel Presentation- 03/18/22

    

4. Spare the Hot Air – Navigating New Developments in Labor and Employment Relations

   

   As COVID-19 spread through the air, discussions surrounding labor and employment issues in the public sector have at times been heated, but they do not need to be.  City, Union and neutral viewpoints will examine vaccine mandates and policies, teleworking and labor negotiations and the meet and confer process, provide updates on CALOSHA regulations, COVID-19 employment related lawsuits and claims and Public Employment Relations Board decisions and settlements, and offer practical tips to turn down the temperature and successfully navigate issues facing today’s public agencies and their employees.

   • Moderators:  Elizabeth Mitchell, Paul Zarefsky, Isaac Rosen
   • Panelists:  
     • Gena B. Burns, Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP, Labor and Employment Practice Group
     • Tiffany Moran, Labor Relations Representative, Castillo Harper, APC
     • Mary Weiss, Supervising Regional Attorney and Mediator, Public Employment Relations Board
   • CLE Material: 
     • Spare the Hot Air – Navigating New Developments in Labor and Employment Relations PowerPoint
     • Spare the Hot Air: Navigating New Developments in Labor and Employment Relations Summary of Cited Cases

    

5. Catching Fire – Wildfire Impacts and Challenges at the Local Level

   

   The fire season in California is starting earlier and ending later each year, with often devastating impacts on local municipalities.  The state’s wildfire prevention efforts impact local governments in varied and sometimes challenging ways, often requiring municipal practitioners to identify and resolve competing local and state-wide interests such as the potential conflict between housing demand and fire risks.

   • Moderators:  Ryan Reed, Megan McClurg, Jennifer Beyers
   • Panelists:
     • Louise W. Bedsworth, Director, Land Use Program, Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at U.C. Berkeley
     • Greg Diaz, City Attorney, City of Ventura, Retired
     • Denise Gluhan, Emergency Services Manager, Los Altos Hill County Fire District
     • Eric S. Phillips, Partner, Burke Williams & Sorensen, LLP
   • CLE Materials: 
     • Catching Fire – Wildfire Impacts and Challenges at the Local Level PowerPoint
     • Summary of Immunities Applicable to Emergency Response
     • Government Code 65913.4
     • SB-9 Bill Text
6. Introduction to Municipal Law / Meet and Greet

   

   Join us after the conclusion of the program for a brief introduction to the practice of municipal law and to meet attorneys from the Attorney Development and Succession Committee as well as attorneys who practice municipal law.