Public Law

On Wednesday, February 26, the University of San Diego (USD) School of Law’s Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD) hosted a Careers in Public Law panel, offering students valuable insights into the dynamic field of public law. The event featured legal professionals who shared their experiences and provided career guidance for students interested in serving the public sector. Read more

The Southern California wildfires in January, 2025 have (as of this writing on January 17, 2025) destroyed or damaged many hundreds of cell sites, primarily in the public rights of way, as well as  “distributed antenna system” (DAS) wireless sies.  Read more

Hear from a former writs and receiver judge and three experienced land use and municipal lawyers on best practices and tips for California administrative writs and mandamus practice.  This 101 Class will cover topics including administrative record, pleadings, defenses, dispositive motions, settlement, trial and post-trial practice. Read more

The California School Boards Association's (CSBA) Education Legal Alliance (ELA) and Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost LLP (F3 Law) team filed an amicus curiae brief with the Supreme Court of the United States in O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier [601 U.S. 205 (2024)]. The team advocated for clarity around when government officials can and cannot block unwelcome content on their social media pages. Until this point, there was confusion around whether a public official engaged in state action subject to the First Amendment… Read more

Howard Wayne was first in his family to attend college, entering San Diego State at 15. After graduating Cum laude from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1972, Howard clerked for the California Court of Appeal. He then joined the California Attorney General’s Office for a total of forty-two years as a Deputy. Howard believed the Attorney General’s office was the best place in California to practice pure law in the name of public good.  Howard was… Read more

The California Lawyers Association Public Law Section is pleased to announce that its Public Meetings, Public Records Conference will be held at the Westin Carlsbad Resort and Spa on September 26-27, 2024. Participants may attend in person for this for this one and a half day continuing legal education and networking event. Read more

We are excited to offer multiple sponsorship opportunities for our upcoming 2024 Public Law Section Public Meeting, Public Record Conference at Carlsbad. Read more

This year, Public Law has selected Retired Chief Counsel, Judy Hartley as the recipient of the PLOY Award. Read more

The County of Los Angeles nominates Senior Assistant County Counsel Thomas Faughnan.  Read more

The Public Law Section held its Law Enforcement Practices and Liability Conference in San Diego on May 25 and 26, 2023. The timing of the conference was prescient given the Attorney General’s June 30, 2023, release of the 2022 Criminal Justice Statistics Report that highlighted, among other things, the use of force by law enforcement in California. Read more