Schedule | 2014 Spring Meeting

This practicum will use hands-on, interactive exercises to address fundamentals of conducting a Mega Procurement in the state and local context. Participants will hear from experienced lawyers involved in the mega billion dollar Florida Statewide Medical Managed Care, Managed Medical Assistance from procurement planning, through drafting of the solicitation, the selection process, and protests.

This program will provide a comprehensive review of the key aspects of the acquisition process from pre-solicitation matters to contract close-out. This program will serve as an introduction to some and a refresher for most about the critical phases of the acquisition process and highlight important issues that arise during these phases.

Remarks: Esther Manheimer, Mayor of Asheville, NC

On Thursday evening you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy dinner with 8-10 colleagues. Reservations have been made for 8-10 people at the listed restaurants. Reservations will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Thursday Evening Dine Around options: Blackbird (Aloft Hotel), Chestnut, Isas’s Bistro, Lobster Trap, Posana Café. Bus transportation to/from hotel to Downtown Asheville.

Learn how state and local governments work with institutions of higher education to develop professional relationships, public safety and health policies, and business and economic opportunity. Panelists will explore examples and case studies of town/gown collaborations and present best practices for lawyers engaged in legal relationships between universities and their host communities.

This panel will discuss current trends and issues in timely topics in state and local procurement, including bid protests and false claims.

The urban agricultural movement has been sprouting up in municipalities across the country at a range of scales and using a variety of methods for production and distribution, from urban gardens to commercial farms, from rooftop greens to front-yard farm stands. This program will discuss policy and planning tools that can enable municipalities to effectively permit and encourage urban agriculture. Our speakers will also address certain legal obstacles that arise in the urban ag setting, including nuisances and zoning issues. The speakers will also present case studies of successful urban agricultural policies and programs—specifically: Detroit, Michigan; Asheville, North Carolina; and Athens, Georgia. The program will also leave time for an interactive discussion with the audience on urban ag planning, legal issues, and lessons learned.

Learn about real-world best practices in maximizing the benefits of social media to keep in touch with your existing clients and educate others about state and local contracting. This panel will discuss the use of electronic communications such as e-mail brochures, websites, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and other forms of social media.

This program examines "heirs property," a term connoting the devolution of land within families without benefit of probate or deeds. Occurring largely in the South, and largely among African-American families, heirs property as been the subject of opportunistic acquisition by outsiders who acquire small fractional interests, and then use partition by sale to acquire the rest. While some descendants of the original owners live on the family "home place," many others are undetermined and difficult to locate. Family members often lack educational or financial resources to obtain fair resolutions of the tugs of family needs and interests of developers. The ABA has worked with groups aiding families to deal with these problems, and partly through its efforts the Uniform Law Commission recently has promulgated the "Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act" (UPHPA) which already has been adopted in several states.

This panel will discuss, compare, and contrast state freedom of information laws, including examples, exemptions, with federal law, from the perspectives of the contractor, government, and lawyer.

Panelists will keep your practice current, detailing the most cutting edge legal issues in land use planning and zoning.

Luncheon Speaker: William Sam Byassee, Deputy State Purchasing Officer, Division of Purchase & Contract, North Carolina Department of Administration, Raleigh, NC

Discussion on recent high profile discharges into rivers and streams impacting citizens drinking water. With the recent spate of highly publicized environmental hazardous discharges: What is the status of preventative enforcement by agencies? How effective was the government's responses? What private and government actions are being taken in response to these events? A panel of experts will provide their views

Expert practitioners will drive the discussion on best practice and the latest trends on acquiring Information Technology goods and services

In this program, a panel of lawyers who represent government agencies will discuss practical solutions to issues in public agency law, ethical obligations and what happens when the public and private sectors interface. Attendees will benefit from materials and the discussion concerning among other things who is the client, the ethical obligations of government lawyers in settlement discussions and the risks of dealing and/or not dealing with the media. The focus will be on how to expect and plan for handling a real life scandal. These scandals cut across all fields of endeavor. When they occur, the stakes are high. Oftentimes, the very existence of the institution will be threatened. What you do and the results you obtain are nearly always the product of one's efforts in advance and the willingness to do it right.

Ticket price, includes bus transportation to/from hotel to the Biltmore Estate, private tour of the Biltmore House and second admission on Saturday. Tickets are $95