We Stand With Minneapolis and Saint Paul
At Renne Public Law Group, we stand with the people of Minneapolis and Saint Paul as they face ongoing fear, disruption, and trauma resulting from recent federal enforcement actions and violence in their community. The loss of life – especially the killing of community members peacefully exercising their constitutional rights – and the distress unfolding on the streets of the Twin Cities reverberate far beyond city borders. Moments like this test the strength of our institutions, the resilience of our communities, and our shared commitment to justice.
RPLG was founded on principles that directly speak to this moment. Our mission – empowering public agencies to deliver critical services, advocating for social justice, preserving local control, promoting fairness and effectiveness, and supporting transparency in all we do — compels us to raise our voices when communities are hurting. We stand for the rule of law and for the people and public servants who work every day to uphold it. We stand for those inside government who fight to protect civil rights, community well-being, and democratic values, often with limited resources and under extraordinary pressure.
We believe deeply that strong, self-governing local communities are essential to the health of our nation. When actions undermine trust, erode local authority, or inflict fear upon residents, the damage is felt not only in one city but across the entire fabric of American municipal life.
As a firm, we reaffirm our commitment to:
- Empowering local governments to protect and serve their communities with integrity.
- Advocating for social justice and the fair treatment of all people.
- Supporting the public servants who work tirelessly to safeguard rights, provide services, and maintain order.
- Upholding transparency, accountability, and the rule of law as foundations of a functioning democracy.
- Treating our own staff and clients with dignity, respect, and compassion while challenging ourselves to grow in skill and understanding.
Today, and every day, we stand with Minneapolis and Saint Paul. We stand with communities experiencing fear and instability. And we stand with public agencies and individuals who are courageously working to restore safety, trust, and justice.
We often say the RPLG is a “mission driven” firm — the mission being to help local governments survive, succeed and innovate. It is particularly heartening that the California Supreme Court has recognized the critical work our clients perform every day in a recent decision (Pico Neighborhood Association v. City of Santa Monica (2023) 2023 WL 5440486). It’s not just that all politics are local; all government services are local. Support your local governments!
“Local governments make many of the most important decisions that affect Californians’ everyday lives. They build and repair public streets, they define a neighborhood’s character through planning and zoning, and they decide where to place public parks and where to allow restaurants, bars, and liquor stores to operate. They make decisions about public transit and decide where to site industries that cause pollution. They provide police services and determine the level and type of policing and other first responder services, they educate our children, they operate or regulate local utilities, and they have the power to levy taxes. The people exercise control over these choices by electing representatives to city councils, county boards, boards of education, community college boards, special district boards, and other bodies.”
News
Renne Public Law Group Welcomes Of Counsel Glen Hansen
RPLG is pleased to announce that Glen Hansen has joined the firm as of counsel, where he will expand RPLG’s land use, environmental and litigation practice serving public agencies throughout California.
Assistant Managing Partner Andrew Shen to Present at Redistricting Symposium
Renne Public Law Group (RPLG) Assistant Managing Partner Andrew Shen will join leading scholars and practitioners at UC Law San Francisco's (UC Law SF) Spring Constitutional Law Quarterly Symposium on Friday, February 6, examining critical issues at the intersection of voting rights and redistricting.
Andrew Shen Promoted to Assistant Managing Partner
RPLG is excited to announce the promotion of Andrew Shen to assistant managing partner. As the firm continues to expand in size and reach, its operations have evolved, creating a need for more operational capacity and leadership to support internal coordination.