Local Government Law

Review recent ARDC Annual Report statistics on mental health and attorney wellness. Tips will be presented for practicing law and self-care and for dealing with stress and depression. The role of colleagues, peers, mentors and of attorney regulation will be discussed as a way of providing meaningful help.

Contentious issues involving the Freedom of Information and Open Meetings Act can somedays feel like the “Municipal Attorneys Full Employment Act.” Questions such as those about personnel records, police videos, texts by elected officials, social media posts, unduly as well as not unduly but still tremendously burdensome requests, and remote meetings continue to pop up in our daily practices. This session will be devoted to addressing some of the more sticky and recurring sunshine law issues and the latest developments in those areas. Bring your questions and examples to share.

Understanding the Availability and Limits of the “Public Policy” Exception to The Finality of Arbitrators’ Decisions in Public Employee Discipline Cases.

Municipal attorneys aren't strangers to being thrown into legal advising on topics they have never been involved in before; often on issues that come up in relation to public crises. How should the attorney respond in these situations when time is of the essence? Local Government lawyers Julie Tappendorf and Steve Elrod will team up once again to use real examples and personal experiences to provide guidance on dealing with such emergencies and crises as natural disasters, mass shootings (including specifically the recent mass shooting in Highland Park), the COVID pandemic, and protests and riots.

• First Amendment and the Forum Analysis • Municipal sign regulation • Speech issues relative to solicitation and panhandling

The Courts, the Illinois General Assembly, and the US Congress have been very busy in 2022 on multiple critically important matters related to governmental bodies at all levels. We’ll cover the most important judicial and legislative activities from 2022 and their impacts on Illinois local government.

A comprehensive guide of Illinois’ special districts that provide essential services for communities.

With topics carefully crafted and taught by a committee of knowledgeable, experienced attorneys, the IICLE® 10th Annual Local Government Law Institute continues to be your resource for hands-on, practical help with local government law issues. Popular topics from the past such as the Legislative and Caselaw Update, and Zoning and Development will be covered, as well as timely topics like Advising Clients in Times of Crisis and Cutting Edge FOIA and OMA Issues. You won’t want to miss this crucial annual update.

Land Use attorneys – and the government officials with whom they interact – face a unique set of ethical issues and obligations. Enjoy an engaging review of the specific rules and challenges that attorneys in this practice area must confront and resolve, utilizing case studies.

The speakers will discuss and provide valuable insight with respect to land use and related legal issues raised when developing wind, solar, and other clean energy projects. We will discuss site control provisions used to assist with these issues and will review example provisions.