McGeorge School of Law
3200 Fifth Avenue
Sacramento CA, 95817

The Public Law 101 Conference is a bootcamp designed to help new attorneys understand the nuance of practicing municipal law. No more do your new attorneys have to skim through practice guides and treatises without the benefit of context and experience! Attendees will receive introductory-level instruction across three different public law tracks:

1. Public Trust – will include sessions on the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, and Conflicts of Interest (5.75 Hours MCLE)
2. Litigation – will include sessions on Code Enforcement & Prosecution, Government Tort Liability, and Writs (6.0 Hours MCLE)
3. Operational – will include sessions on Public Contracting, Labor & Employment, CEQA, Public Finance, and Elections (5.75 Hours MCLE)

Plus, the conference will start with a half-day presentation of skills courses in Legal Writing, Networking, and Legal Research—taught by experts in their respective fields. This is an amazing opportunity to supplement your in-house training of new attorneys, while providing incredible skills-based training on topics that can transform your new hires into rock stars. Register today, or contact us to find out about group registration for your newly admitted attorneys.

Tuesday, November 14

12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Registration Opens and Coffee Service

Pre-Conference Skills Workshops and Opening Session

• Christine Wood, Conference Co-Chair – BB&K LLP
• Michael Hunter Schwartz, Dean – McGeorge Law School

1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. | Writing Workshop

2:30 p.m. – 3:45 pm | Research Workshop

• Speaker:  Ederlina Co, Professor – McGeorge School of Law

4:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. | Networking Workshop

• Speaker:  Darien Fleming, Executive Coach

5:30 p.m. | Swearing-In Ceremony

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. | Welcome from Conference Co-Chairs and McGeorge

8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. | Opening Session: What Makes Public Lawyering Unique?

9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Litigation Overview – What it means to litigate within a public agency? How is it different? (Litigation Track)

9:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. | Dysfunction Junction: Brown Act In-Meeting Challenges (Public Trust Track)

9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Public Contracting (Operations Track)

10:45 a.m.  – 11:45 a.m. | Code Prosecution & Enforcement (Litigation Track)

10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. | Labor and Employment (Operations Track)

Lunch and Keynote Speaker

Devora Navera Reed serves as the General Counsel for the District. She has been serving the District since 2006 and previously held the position of Chief Education and Legal Services Counsel. Ms. Navera Reed oversaw legal issues and litigation in areas dealing with special education, school law and operations, charter schools, equity and access, and constitutional issues, to name a few. As General Counsel for the District, Ms. Navera Reed is responsible for administering and overseeing the legal activities of the District’s legal staff and outside legal firms.

In addition, she advises the District Board, Superintendent, and senior leadership related to matters of major importance to the District. Prior to joining the District in 2006, Ms. Navera Reed served as an attorney for the Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles for nearly a decade, where she represented and advocated for children in dependency court and the foster care system. In addition to her legal responsibilities, Ms. Navera Reed serves as a board member of the California Minority Counsel Program promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal field. Ms. Navera Reed earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern California in 1992 and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1996. 

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Consumer Protections (Litigation Track)

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. | PRA, Part I (Public Trust Track)

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Planning & Land Use (CEQA) (Operations Track)

2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. | Tort Liability (Litigation Track)

2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. | PRA, Part II (Public Trust Track)

2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. | Public Finance (Operations Track)

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Writs (Litigation Track)

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Conflicts of Interest (Public Trust Track)

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Elections (Operations Track)

4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Closing Remarks

EARLY BIRD until October 31, 2023

• $225 – Public Law Section Member
• $305 – Non-Section Member
• $100 – Paralegals/Non-Attorneys

REGISTRATION After October 31, 2023

• $295 – Public Law Section Member
• $375 – Non-Section Member
• $170 – Paralegals/Non-Attorneys

Cancellations/Refunds: Requests must be received in writing by 11/8/2023. A $25 processing fee will be charged for requests received after 11/8/2023. For more information, call (916) 516-1757.

On-Site Registration: On-site registration is subject to availability. Call to confirm space availability.

Special Assistance: For special assistance, please call (916) 516-1751.

Questions: For registration information call (916) 516-1757. Telephone registrations will not be accepted. For program content and/or Section information call (916) 516-1751.

This event may be recorded. By attending this event, you consent to be photographed, filmed, and/or otherwise recorded, and to any use, by the CLA, of your likeness, voice, and name in any and all media including social media. If you do not want your name or photo to be used, please let us know in advance. We cannot, however, honor requests to opt out of the use of your image or voice if you choose to ask a question during one of the event sessions.