Presented by: League of California Cities and the California Constitution Center
February 21, 2025
Program: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Berkeley Law Room 105 (building map)
Click here to register!
Come join us for the 2025 Municipal Law Institute Symposium, entitled “Nuts, Bolts & Power Tools: The Fundamentals and Current State of California Municipal Law.”
This is a one-day in-person educational event at the UC Berkeley School of Law for both practitioners and students alike. The event will integrate the study and practice of municipal law and introduce, encourage, and train students to work in the field.
This year, the symposium will get back to basics with an overview of legal areas particular to municipal law (the Nuts and Bolts), and share practical stories from experts about how that law is being interpreted and applied (the Power Tools).
- 9:30 – 10:40 Constitutional Law
Moderator: David A. Carrillo, California Constitution Center
Jennifer Mizrahi, Cole Huber LLP
Richard Pio Roda, Redwood Public Law
Derek Cole, Cole Huber LLP
- 10:50 – 12:00 Open Meetings and the Ralph M. Brown Act
Moderator: Christopher Diaz, Best Best & Krieger
Elaine Zhong, Deputy City Attorney, City of Los Angeles
Osa L. Wolff, Shute Mihaly & Weinberger
Vrunda Shah, Aleshire Wynder
Strefan Fauble, Assistant City Attorney, City of Los Angeles
— Lunch break —
City Attorneys Roundtable
Moderator: David A. Carrillo, California Constitution Center
David Chiu, City Attorney of San Francisco
Eric Casher, City Attorney of Pinole
Susana Alcala-Wood, City Attorney of Sacramento
- 1:30 – 2:30 Ethics/Conflicts under the Political Reform Act
Moderator: Dan Sodergren, City Attorney, City of Pleasanton
Zaynah Moussa-Milward, City Attorney, City of Vernon
Rebecca Moon, City Attorney, City of Sunnyvale
- 2:40 – 3:50 Transparency under the Public Records Act
Moderator: Barbara H. Choi, Atchison Barisone & Condotti
Darren Ziegler, Best Best & Krieger
Priscilla George, Aleshire & Wynder
Czarmaine C. Majan, Cole Huber LLP
- 4:00 – 5:00 Land Use and Housing
Moderator: Michelle Hugard, Deputy City Attorney, City of Santa Monica
Jena Acos, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP
Marc Tran, Burke Williams & Sorensen LLP
The day will conclude with an informal meet & greet reception where attendees can interact with members from the Cal Cities Attorney Development and Succession Committee, as well as other municipal law attorney attendees of the symposium.
The symposium is co-sponsored this year by the League of California Cities and the California Constitution Center at UC Berkeley School of Law. Five hours of general MCLE credit will be available, pending State Bar approval.