2024 Public Meetings, Public Records

This session will provide an overview of the California laws governing public meetings at the state, county, and local levels, and provide recent updates as to both the Brown Act and Bagley-Keene Act.

Moderator: John Appelbaum

Speakers:

• Frank Spendorio
• Tracy Noonan
• Christopher Diaz

Attorneys often struggle over giving adequate, but protective notice of confidential closed session topics. This session will explore best practices and pitfalls related to providing notice of closed session topics.

Moderator: John Appelbaum

Speakers:

• Michael Jenkins
• David Prentice
• Tracy Noonan

Jurisdictions across the state are reporting an increased number of public meeting management issues. This session will discuss the delicate balance between the right of the public and public officials to participate in public meetings and the need to conduct a jurisdiction’s business in an efficient and effective way.

Speakers:

• Mara Elliott
• Elizabeth Mitchell
• Claudia Silva

This session will provide an overview of the California Public Records Act and provide updates.

Moderator: Darren  Ziegler 

Speakers:

• Annie Loo
• Amy Ackerman

Public lawyers often struggle to determine if and when a particular statutory exemption applies to a public record that has been requested. This session will cover the scope and application of the most common PRA exemptions, and assist the public lawyer in advising their agency client.

Moderator: Michael McDonnell

Speakers:

• Daniel S. Hentschke
• John Doimas

Most jurisdictions have experienced a substantial increase in public records request over the past few years. This session will discuss the practical aspects of responding to voluminous public records requests and best practices for avoiding legal pitfalls in response delays.

Speakers:

• Matthew Summers
• Stella Ngai

Keynote speaker: David Loy

David Loy became the First Amendment Coalition’s legal director in 2022. David is an experienced free speech and open government litigator. He has defended the First Amendment rights of reporters, photographers, bloggers, students, teachers, activists, protesters, musicians, Marines, and motorcycle club members. He has fought for public disclosure and governmental transparency for over 20 years.

Before joining FAC, David served as legal director of the ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties for almost 16 years. He also worked as a staff attorney with the Office of the Appellate Defender in New York City, a public defender in Spokane, Washington, and a staff attorney with the Center for Justice in Spokane.

He received his A.B. in History and Chinese Language from Brown University, where he was photo editor of the Brown Daily Herald. After college, he worked for a law firm in San Francisco, taught English in China, and served as the legal assistant for a Chicago legal services office. He graduated from Northwestern University School of Law in 1994 and clerked for Judge Dolores K. Sloviter of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

David is an active member of the California and New York bars, with inactive status in Washington and Illinois. He has served on the Southern District of California lawyer representative committee and the boards of California Appellate Defense Counsel and American Constitution Society, San Diego Lawyer Chapter.

Recent changes in state law have significantly changed the landscape of the public’s right to access police records. This session will provide an overview of the statutory landscape related to police records requests and discuss hot topics and updates in this area.

Moderator: S. Pat Tsen

Speakers:

• Donna Dean
• Phillip Murray
• Tony Sain

No agency wants to be the subject of a PRA lawsuit. This session will discuss ways to best position your agency to avoid litigation altogether and to minimize your agency’s risk once litigation has been commenced.

Moderator: Megan McClurg

Speakers:

• Abigail J.R. McLaughlin 
• Matthew Summers 
• Amy Ackerman