Renne Public Law Group (RPLG)’s Rubin E. Cruse Jr., Ann Danforth, Jake Freitas, Art Hartinger and Jon Holtzman will represent the firm at the League of California Cities (LOCC) City Attorneys Spring Conference, May 8 to 11 in Rancho Mirage.
Renne Public Law Group (RPLG) is excited to kick off its fifth-annual Public Law Fellowship Program. The cohort will soon immerse themselves in public law thought leadership and learning, with a stellar lineup of public sector and legal professionals. Over two weeks, the Fellowship’s panelists and presenters will address topical issues and challenges facing California communities, local governments and law practice.
Let’s talk about recruitment—with a unique approach. Renne Public Law Group approaches bringing in new talent a bit differently from traditional law firms. We don’t hire for openings. We hire great people. When we find great people who want to help government, we hire them, period.
The 2001 California Voting Rights Act (“CVRA”) made it easier for minority groups to prove that local electoral systems undermine their voting power. Appellate courts have adopted different interpretations of what constitutes minority vote dilution. In Pico Neighborhood Ass’n v. City of Santa Monica (Aug. 24, 2023), the California Supreme Court found that vote dilution under the CVRA requires more than racially polarized voting.
On August 8, 2023, in Lacy v. City and County of San Francisco (Aug. 8, 2023, A165899) Cal.App.5th, the California Court of Appeal for the First District upheld San Francisco’s Charter provision permitting noncitizen parents or guardians of children to vote in San Francisco school board elections.
On July 21, 2023, the California Court of Appeal for the First District, in Coalition on Homelessness v. City and County of San Francisco, 93 Cal.App.5th 928 (2023), held that San Francisco cannot tow safely and lawfully parked vehicles, without a warrant, solely because of unpaid parking tickets.
On August 2, 2023, Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit organization focusing on consumer advocacy, submitted a proposed November 2024 ballot measure to the California Attorney General that would, among other amendments, make numerous changes to the California Public Records Act (CPRA). According to news reports, Consumer Watchdog has budgeted $5 million to support the qualification of the measure for the fall 2024 ballot.
On July 19, 2023, in Progressive Democrats for Social Justice vs. Bonta, the Ninth Circuit ruled that California Government Code Section 3205—which prohibits local government employees from soliciting campaign contributions from their co-workers—violates the First Amendment.
Effective January 1, 2023, SB 1439 imposes the existing limits on campaign contributions solicited or received in Government Code Section 84308 on local elected officers. Previously, the limits applied only to appointed officers. This notable expansion has drawn newfound attention to the scope of Section 84308’s definitions and restrictions.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued guidance regarding the use of software, algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) in employers’ “selection procedures,” in other words, employment decisions related to hiring, promotion and firing. Learn more from RPLG Senior Counsel Spencer Wilson and Associate Anastasia Bondarchuk.
