Signage and Flags – First Amendment Issues Affecting Municipal Governments

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 use real examples and personal experiences to provide guidance on dealing with such emergencies and crises as natural disasters, mass shootings, the COVID pandemic, and protests and riots.

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.

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.