Public Law
Public Law Journal: 2017, Vol. 40, No. 2
Content
- Litigation & Case Law Update
- Public Law Journal
- Public Law Section
- Taking Advantage of Your Public Law Section Benefits
- What's New (and Old) in California Municipal Law? Rent Control Laws and Litigation
- Whose Mandate Is It? and Who Pays for It? Recent Developments in State-Local Government Funding Disputes
- Message from the Chair
Message from the Chair
By John M. Appelbaum*
OUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO YOU AND THE OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD
On May 19, 2017, the Public Law Section held its annual Open Meeting and Public Records Act Conference at UC Berkeley School of Law. The conference brings together the foremost experts in open meeting and public records law. The topics and discussions were particularly lively this year, coming on the heels of the California Supreme Court’s significant Public Records Act (PRA) decision in City of San Jose v. Superior Court.
UC Berkeley Law Professor Claudia Polsky kicked off the conference noting the importance of transparency, but cautioning against abuses. She related how she had been targeted in a PRA request designed to impugn her reputation because of her environmental advocacy. The anecdote provided a poignant reminder that laws intended to promote transparency in the democratic process can be misused.