Total Credits: 3 CLE
Essential overview of public records and open meeting laws. Topics include:
Public Records Law Overview
• What are public records?
• Presumption of disclosure
• Exceptions
• Remedies and Sanctions
Records Maintenance, Retention, and Disposal Best Practices
• Electronic records
Practical Guidance for Responding to Public Records Requests
Recently Considered/Passed Legislation and Case Law Update
Open Meeting Laws Overview
• What is a meeting?
• Requirements for Meetings
• Executive Sessions
• Public Comment
• Penalties for Violations /Remedies
• Recently considered/passed legislation and case law update
Q & A
Faculty
Marjorie Becklund, Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General
Danee Garone, Senior Staff Attorney, Arizona Ombudsman Citizens’ Aide
Charles Grube, Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General
Scott Holcomb, Member, Dickinson Wright
Co-Chairs
Lena Kalkbrenner, Assistant Attorney General State Government Division—Agency Counsel Section, Office of the Attorney General
Pamela Peiser, Assistant Attorney General/State Government Division, Office of the Attorney General
| Spilling the Government Tea(Open Meeting and Public Records Laws) Manual (2.2 MB) | 57 Pages | Available after Purchase |
Pamela Peiser Sullivan has an undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona and a Masters of Business Administration from Drake University. After her graduation from Saint Mary’s University School of Law, and admission to the State Bar of Texas in 1999, Ms. Peiser returned to Arizona. Following her admission to the State Bar of Arizona, Ms. Peiser began work with the Mohave County Legal Defender’s Office. In 2000, Ms. Peiser became a prosecutor with the City of Kingman, eventually moving on to the La Paz County Attorney’s Office where she prosecuted juvenile, misdemeanor, and felony offenses.
In 2001, Ms. Peiser relocated to Flagstaff where she briefly worked in private practice before returning to prosecution as an Assistant City Attorney for the Flagstaff City Attorney’s Office. While with the City of Flagstaff, Pamela prosecuted domestic violence cases and numerous other misdemeanor offenses, including DUIs.
Ms. Peiser moved on to prosecute juvenile offenses at the Coconino County Attorney’s Office from 2004 until her departure to join the Arizona Attorney General’s Office in 2007. As an Assistant Attorney General, Ms. Peiser worked in the Protective Services Section where she represented then Child Protective Services, now the Department of Child Safety, in determining the dependency and permanency status of at-risk children.
In 2009, Ms. Peiser joined the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Executive Hearing Office as an Administrative Law Judge, issuing final agency decisions and orders. As an Administrative Law Judge, Ms. Peiser presided over hearings that included driver license and vehicle title determinations, as well as other matters arising under the regulatory authority of the Arizona Department of Transportation.
In 2011, Ms. Peiser returned to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, joining the Agency Counsel Section. Ms. Peiser currently represents a myriad of state agencies providing legal advice, some of which includes matters relating to public records requests, open meeting law, regulatory interests, and public monies. Ms. Peiser also provides agency representation in State and Federal court litigation. Ms. Peiser is a member of the Public Lawyers Section of the State Bar of Arizona and serves on its Executive Counsel.
Pamela Peiser has previously taught continuing education classes for the State Bar of Arizona, in addition to having taught at Coconino Community College. She currently teaches classes at Grand Canyon University.
Marjorie Becklund is an Assistant Attorney General at the Tucson office of the Arizona Attorney General’s office. For the past 27 years she has been advising various state agencies regarding topics such as the Open Meeting law. She was a member of the Attorney General’s Open Meeting Law Enforcement Team (O.M.L.E.T.) during two administrations. She has extensive experience in the area of administrative law providing state agencies with sound legal and practical advice. A graduate of the University of Arizona, Ms. Becklund has spent over 35 years practicing law in Southern Arizona.
Charles A. Grube. Your friend Chuck has practiced law since Harvard Law School handed him a degree and demanded that he leave in 1980. Since then, he has practiced with two giant law firms, a medium firm and a small law partnership, as well as serving as in-house counsel in a major banking concern. For the last 27 years, he has been an Arizona assistant attorney general, helping many agencies comply with the public records and Open Meeting Law issues to be discussed in this seminar.
Scott A. Holcomb is a member of Dickinson Wright PLLC. His practice focuses on representation of public entities, construction and real estate, as well as commercial litigation. Scott serves as the Town Attorney for the Town of Queen Creek and General Counsel for the Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (“Mountain Line”), and regularly represents other Arizona public entities. He has served on the Madison Elementary School District Board for 20 years. Scott received his BS degree from Iowa State University in 1981 and his JD from the University of Iowa in 1984. Scott is listed in Best Lawyers in America in Construction and Municipal Law.
Lena Kalkbrenner is an Assistant Attorney General in the Agency Counsel Section of the State Government Division, representing the Arizona Department of Housing and other State agencies. She joined the Arizona Attorney General’s Office in 2021, prior to that she worked in a variety of other government attorney roles, and briefly in private practice. Lena has an undergraduate degree from Arizona State University, and a Juris Doctor degree from the Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law at Arizona State University.
Danee Garone is the Senior Staff Attorney for the Ombudsman’s office and specializes in open meeting and public records law matters. He joined the Ombudsman’s office in 2014.
Danee has a Juris Doctor degree from the Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law at Arizona State University. Additionally, he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.
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