Message from the Chair

By Amanda Conn
General counsel, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission

The Section Council is excited to announce our virtual State and Local Government Institute tomorrow (Friday, June 17th). We considered an in-person event, but faced challenges in finding a space that is large enough for members to spread out while trying to provide a hybrid option for those who wouldn’t feel comfortable attending.

On top of that, the overall unpredictability of the pandemic led us to decide to have a virtual Institute this year. The one benefit of virtual is that it is easier for speakers to participate on panels, because they don’t have to worry about distance or travel time.

We have an outstanding judicial panel this year with Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals Matt Fader, Chief Judge of the Court of Special Appeals Gregory Wells, and Judge Laura Ripken from the Court of Special Appeals all giving us insights on writing and speaking before the courts. We will also have a Supreme Court update from lawyers from the National Association of Attorneys General and the International Municipal Lawyers Association.

Their work with Supreme Court cases always provides interesting insights. We will also have a panel on police reform, since the July 1 implementation of the 2021 police
reform law is on everyone’s front burner these days.

This will be an informative day so I hope you will join us. As always, we keep our fees for these events minimal so everyone can afford to tune in.

I must also acknowledge the contributions that Chuck Thompson has made to our Section over the past two decades and to our profession in general. Chuck was the Carroll County and Montgomery County attorney until nearly 20 years ago when he became the executive director of IMLA.

Chuck has retired from IMLA this year and is stepping down from the Section Council
after serving multiple terms as a member. Chuck is a “can do” type of person. He has been
instrumental in brainstorming and organizing our events and his connections have brought us great speakers through the years.

Chuck’s contributions to our Section Council meetings will be missed. He thinks he is escaping from the Section completely but I assure you we will be doing everything we can to keep him involved in our legal programs.

Hope to see everyone virtually at the State and Local Government Institute tomorrow, June 17th!