Legislation & Governance
No matter what type of public body is involved, governing boards and councils must ensure compliance with the unique procedural laws pertaining to them, as well as broader requirements relating to public contracts, public bidding, 28E agreements, public records and open meetings laws. Our attorneys know what laws apply to public bodies and stand ready with a broad range of knowledge and experience to help clients successfully navigate these difficult areas. We counsel our public sector clients on governance policies and practices that best suit the institution and its culture.
Examples of Public Bodies we work with:
Municipalities
- City Councils
- County Board of Supervisors
- Electrical Cooperatives
- City-Owned Utility Board of Trustees
- Sanitary Sewer District Board of Trustees
Higher Education
- Community College Boards of Trustees
- Iowa Board of Regents
K-12 Education
- K-12 School Boards
Board Counsel
Our work involves advising governing bodies on issues unique to public governance, including those based on the federal and state constitution and those based on federal and state statutes. We are very involved in advising public policy makers on board/administration responsibilities, open meetings and public records compliance, public finance and tax issues, campaign and election laws, Iowa gift law issues, and public sector conflicts of interest.
We provide training sessions for professional groups such as: Iowa State Association of Counties, Iowa League of Municipalities, Iowa Association of School Boards, IPELRA, and others. We also provide custom training sessions on site for board members, administrators and staff.
Our attorneys are actively involved in a variety of professional associations for city, county, school district, and higher education administrators. We are asked to frequently speak on both the local and national level.