Civil Rights: Supreme Court Shockwaves – 6 Months Later

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.

This course discusses the reasonable accommodation mandate under the ADA and its effect on a municipality’s ability to regulate and enforce zoning and building code requirements. Preventative legislative steps to avoid federal scrutiny, best practices in dealing with accommodation requests, and dealing with litigation, if it arises, are covered. Originally presented as part of the 11th Annual Local Government Law Institute.

Every day, the law is evolving related to the rights of transgender individuals. This session will discuss the terminology, state and federal laws related to accommodation of transgender populations.