Advising Clients on Conflicts Issues

This session discusses the potential legal pitfalls in government social media. It summarizes recent court decisions (1) holding that a government social media account or page is a designated or limited public forum, (2) finding governments in violation of the First Amendment for removing comments that constitute protected speech, and (3) analyzing when an elected official’s personal social media page becomes so entangled with their government duties that it becomes a public forum. It also provides tips for advising local governments on legally defensible social media comment policies. Originally presented as part of the 11th Annual Local Government Law Institute.

Municipal law by its very nature is more prone to conflicts of interest than other areas of the law. Richard Gleason of the ARDC breaks down the rules around conflicts of interest, as well as how they apply specifically to government law attorneys. Learn how to most effectively serve your clients while also staying on the good side of the ARDC. Originally presented as part of the 11th Annual Local Government Law Institute.

Attorneys from the Public Access Bureau of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General discuss binding and non-binding opinions on challenging Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Open Meetings Act (OMA) issues. Originally presented as part of the 11th Annual Local Government Law Institute.