Public Law
Open Meetings and Open Records Digital Conference 2020
Monday, May 11, 2020 – Friday, May 15, 2020
Earn up to 9.5 Hours of MCLE!
Sessions | Full Schedule | Bundle Offer | Sponsors
Welcome to the 2020 Open Meetings and Open Records Digital Conference. This year’s annual conference is all online. Join us from comforts of your home!
Each session is set at the low price of $25! This special pricing is valid for purchases made through May 15. Purchases made after May 15 will be in the catalog with normal OnDemand pricing, so take advantage and sign up now!
- Purchase all 8 sessions at a discount! Offer ends 5/11/2020.
- And if you purchase all 8 sessions, you get a $20 Uber Eats gift card! (Valid for the first 100 sign-ups)
- Purchase at least one Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday session and receive a $10 Uber Eats gift card! (Valid for the first 75 sign-ups)
- A daily raffle for the chance to win a California Administrative Law, Practice Guide
Questions? Contact PublicLaw@calawyers.org.
Sessions
For full details about the sessions, including date and time and registration links, view the schedule. Below is a list of the featured sessions.
- Session 1: More-Transparent-Than-Ever During Safer-At-Home
- Session 2: A Practical Look at Closed Sessions after Fowler
- Session 3: Social Media Archiving
- Session 4: Records Management – Best Practices & Innovations
- Session 5: Police Records—One Year Later
- Session 6: PRA Pain Points and the Quest for Legislative Fixes
- Session 7: Pros & Cons of Online Portals
- Session 8: Top Ten Public Records Act Tips in the COVID-19 Era
Sponsors
A big thank you to our sponsors!
- Best Best and Krieger (visit our videos here!)
- CEB
- Practice Aligned Resources (visit our videos here!)
- The Rutter Group
Bundle Offer
Each session is $25. Purchase all 8 sessions for a discount at $125. Offer ends May 11. This special pricing is valid for purchases made through May 15. Purchases made after May 15 will be in the catalog with normal OnDemand pricing.
Schedule
Monday, May 11
Session 1: More-Transparent-Than-Ever During Safer-At-Home
How to Improve Public Access and Comply with the Brown Act During a Pandemic
1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. | 1.5 Hours MCLE
This session will explore best practices for public agencies conducting public meetings and closed sessions during the current state of emergency, including the safer-at-home orders. Speakers: Michael Jenkins and Christi Hogin.
Tuesday, May 12
Session 2: A Practical Look at Closed Sessions after Fowler
10 a.m. – 11 a.m. | 1 Hour MCLE
Closed sessions have always been difficult for public lawyers. After the Fowler case earlier this year, there are new rules and expectations about how to provide adequate notice for closed sessions. In this session, participants will learn the practical application to Fowler, while also getting a general update on The Brown Act and The Bagley-Keene Act. Speakers: Andrea Sheridan and Ordin Michael Strumwasser.
Session 3: Social Media Archiving
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | 1 Hour MCLE
It’s no news that public agencies are using social media as a communications tool. Even the US Supreme Court recently dubbed social media as the “modern public square.” Yet, complying with the PRA requests for these records is neither easy nor intuitive. In this session, participants will learn how to comply with requests and produce records, including edited or deleted posts and comments, and how best to archive these records in accordance with current laws. Speakers: Peter Boulton, Jeremy Jungreis, and Melissa McChesney.
Wednesday, May 13
Session 4: Records Management – Best Practices & Innovations
10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. | 1.5 Hours MCLE
No one disputes that requests for public records have grown in number and complexity. The role records management plays in the effective response to a public records request often goes unnoticed. Participants in this session will hear from records professionals from across the country who work in public agencies and are willing to share their best practices and innovations. Speakers: John Daly, Mark Meyers, and Jill Stelter.
Session 5: Police Records—One Year Later
1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. | 1.5 Hours MCLE
Last year, SB 1421 and AB 748 caught everyone by surprise. Now, one year later, let’s take a look at how public agencies are faring in response to requests for public records in the possession of law enforcement agencies. Speakers: David Mastagni and Tony Sain.
Thursday, May 14
Session 6: PRA Pain Points and the Quest for Legislative Fixes
10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. | 1.5 Hours MCLE
In the past few years, we have seen legitimate provisions within the PRA create real dilemmas for public agencies. Whether it’s requests from anonymous requesters who might be bots, or extortion demands from requesters who catch the agency with a technical misstep, responding to requests has gotten very complicated. In this session, we’ll host a roundtable discussion on pain points within the PRA, strategies for addressing these pain points, and whether there is a path to legislative fixes. Speakers: Aaron Chandler, Jolie Houston, and Eugene Park.
Session 7: Pros & Cons of Online Portals
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | 1 Hour MCLE
Online portals have become more commonplace in the past few years, but are they helpful in responding to PRA requests. Find out more about online portals from state and local agencies that are using these services every day. Speakers: Bret Ladine, Randy Risner, and Stephanie D. Smith.
Friday, May 15
Session 8: Top Ten Public Records Act Tips in the COVID-19 Era
10 a.m. – 11 a.m. | 1 Hour MCLE
When Governor Gavin Newsom issued the nation’s first stay-at-home order in response to the coronavirus pandemic, he relaxed some Brown Act provisions, but remained silent as to the Public Records Act. Speaker: Christine N. Wood.