Strategies for Local Governments Responding
to First Amendment and Land Use Challenges
CD of Teleconference with Q&A
Click here for program outline
Conducted on Thursday, September 4, 2008
Now available on CD
Sponsored by Municipal Litigation Reporter
and the Legal Publishing Group of Strafford Publications
The swell of campaign activity leading up to the November election has significantly increased inquiries to municipal attorneys regarding the regulation of political signs and literature. Local governments must also cope with public employees campaigning on city or county property.
Although political speech is at the core of protection of the First Amendment, some local regulation is constitutional. However, the law in this area is notoriously complex, and local governments frequently lose litigation over political and protest signs.
Listen as our panel of land use and First Amendment legal specialists examines the types of restrictions local governments may legally place upon the display of political signs and upon public employees campaigning on municipal property — without violating the federal and state constitutions.
The panel included:
Thomas M. Carpenter, City Attorney, City of Little Rock, Little Rock, Ark. He has been City Attorney since 1991. He is a frequent lecturer and writer and has taught Civil Rights, Land Use Planning, and Local Government Law at the UALR School of Law.
Randal R. Morrison, Sabine & Morrison, San Diego. He is Director of Litigation for his firm. He has successfully defended many cities against “sign code shakedown” and “billboard ambush” suits filed by billboard companies.
The panel reviewed these and other key questions:
- What issues must the municipal attorney consider when determining whether time limits for political signs is lawful?
- Can local governments impose any content restrictions on political signs and literature?
- How does current case law address participation by public employees in campaign activities on local government property?
TELECONFERENCE CD
Purchase a CD-ROM of the full conference proceedings, including Q&A and PDF files of all handouts (available 10 days after the program).
- Regular Price - $297 (plus $9.45 S&H)
- With Teleconference Registration – an additional $75 (plus $9.45 S&H)
CLE credit is available for an additional $65 each for attorneys seeking CLE credits for NY or CT.
Other states may grant CLE credits for listening to this CD - check with your state about applying for self-study credit on CD-listening.