NCSL Legislative Summit—LSSS Agenda

McCormick Place Convention Center (West Building)

Chicago, Illinois

(Summit Online Resources Page)


August 6-9, 2012(As of August 30, 2012)

Sunday| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday

Sunday, August 5, 2012

NCSL Executive Committee—Outreach and Communications

NCSL Executive Committee—Budget Subcommittee

NCSL Executive Committee

Registration

Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee (LSCC)

New Attendee Orientation

General Session

Diane Swonk, chief economist for Mesirow Financial has been named one of the top economic forecasters in the country by the Wall Street Journal. She acts as advisor to Federal Reserve Board and regional Reserve Banks, and is one of the most respected economists in the world and among the most quoted economists in the financial press. 

At-Will Employment--What Does It Really Mean?

(Joint Session with Leadership Staff Section)

Legislative staff are employed at the will of their legislative leaders. Hear an employment law expert discuss the ramifications of this kind of employment. What rights do legislative employees have? What do supervisors need to know? Legislative attorneys will learn how best to advise their client, the legislature.

Kerry Saltzman, Williams, Bax & Saltzman PC, Illinois
Panelists: Deborah Fulton, Legal Division, Legislative Council, Texas Legislature
Skiff Lobaugh, Human Resources Manager, Legislative Affairs Agency, Alaska

LSSS: Dutch Treat Dinner

Join legal services friends and colleagues from across the nation for dinner and lively discussion at a local restaurant. Spouses and guests are welcome. Reservations are required. Contact: kae.warnock@ncsl.org

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Registration

LSSS Roundtable: How I Spent My Interim

Interim projects are often huge and complicated. Join colleagues to share perspectives on the work that attorneys do outside of the legislative session.

Moderator: Cathlene Hanaman, Deputy Chief, Legislative Reference Bureau, Wisconsin

Code Revisors' Roundtable

Discuss the challenges and opportunities of publishing efficiently and effectively in the 21st century. Learn how to protect the authenticity of online law, meet consumer expectations for real-time updates, and make your code available as an app, e-book and podcast.

Moderator: Jennifer Gilroy, Legislative Legal Services, Colorado

General Session

Peter Hart and Neil Newhouse are two of the nation's leading pollsters. Newhouse is a partner and co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies, a firm that The New York Times describes as "the leading Republican polling company" in the country. Peter Hart is "the foremost Washington pollster for the Democratic Party," according to the National Journal and is chairman of Peter D. Hart Research Associates

Exhibit Hall Open

NCSL Standing Committee Meetings

NCSL Standing Committee Lunches

NCSL Standing Committee Meetings

Supreme Court Roundup

Joint meeting with Law and Justice Committees

The U.S. Supreme Court's recent term included decisions in several cases with implications on states and states’ rights. Get an overview of the court's review and opinions handed down in these cases.

Speakers: Rebecca Ross, Troutman Sanders, Illinois
Lisa Soronen, State & Local Leader Center, Washington, D.C.
Archive of live streamed session

Legislative Staff University

Attorney-Client Relationships in the Legislative Arena

Attorneys who work in the legislative environment face ethical responsibilities that are inherent in their attorney-client relationships. Hear a panel that includes a legislator, legislative attorneys and a lobbyist explore rules of ethical conduct and other legal issues.

Illinois Opening Reception—Windy City Welcome
Museum of Science and Industry

Chicago stands tall as the city of big shoulders—a city known for its renowned architecture, captivating museums, beloved sports teams, wonderful shopping, great food and beautiful lake shore. At this opening event, you’ll have exclusive access to the largest science center in the Western Hemisphere and experience fascinating, world-class exhibits. During your exploration of the museum, you will get a “taste” of what makes Chicago famous—food, fun and music. A traditional “Taste of Chicago” will showcase all the famous eats and tunes from the Windy City, from deep dish pizza to the classic Chicago style hot dog, from jazz to gospel to rock.

Bipartisan Bike Ride

Registration

LSSS Business Meeting and Breakfast

Issue Forums

Issue Forums

 Exhibit Hall Open

 "Atlanta Kick-off" Exhibit Hall Luncheon

Issue Forums

Legislative Oversight of Federal Funds

Legal Services, NALFO and NLPES

In their constitutional role as controllers of the state purse strings, state legislatures have the responsibility to ensure that federal funds are spent according to the law. This session will explore the general and legal roles of state legislatures in the federal grant-in-aid system and hear from experts on how to improve state legislative oversight of federal funds.
PowerPoint Presentation - Jonathan Ball

States' Nights

Walk for Wellness

 Registration

General Session

Exhibit Hall Open

NCSL Business Meeting

General Session

Doris Kearns Goodwin, acclaimed historian, Pulitzer Prize winner, prolific author and captivating speaker. She has written books about Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, the Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys, Lyndon Johnson and most recently on Abraham Lincoln. "Team of Rivals" illuminates Lincoln's political genius, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president.

Issue Forums

Researching Legislative History or Intent

Legal Services, RACSS and LRL

Legislative history is important in determining why a law was passed and what legislators meant by the language they used. Legislative history and intent is used by courts to establish the intended meaning of language in the law and ensure its correct implementation. This session provides guidelines for researching state legislative history and intent.

Moderator:
Mary Camp, LRL Chair, Director, Legislative Reference Library, Texas

Speakers:
Eddie Weeks, Legislative Librarian, Tennessee General Assembly  -  Presentation and Handout
Deborah Haskins, Assistant Director, Office of Legislative Legal Services, Colorado  -  Handout 1, Handout 2, Handout 3, Handout 4
Mark Kuster, Attorney, Legislative Council, Texas  -  Presentation 

 Subpoenas: What Happens When the Legislature Issues One and What to Do if You Get One

Explore how legislative attorneys may issue subpoenas on behalf of a legislative body, and how to defend and enforce those subpoenas. On the flip-side, examine how to respond to a subpoena received by a legislative body or its staff, including motions to quash based on legislative immunity.

Speakers: Frank Arey, Division of Legislative Audit, Arkansas General Assembly
Sharon Eubanks, Legislative Legal Services, Colorado General Assembly
Agenda | All states | Sued | Federal | LOPFI | Motion to Dismiss | | Legislative Subpoenas | Motion to Quash | Legit. Activity

Illinois Closing Event—Musical feast at Millennium Park

What better way to say farewell to the City by the Lake than an evening of great music and fine food in this 25-acre park along Lake Michigan’s shoreline—a center for world-class art, music, architecture, gardens and landscape design? Guests will savor and sip some of Chicago’s best offerings from its many culturally diverse neighborhoods such as Greek Town, Little Italy and Ukrainian Village. While sitting under the stars, listen to an exclusive performance by the toddling town’s best-known musicians. Get ready for an evening of culinary and musical delights set against the picturesque skyline in one of the city’s top tourist attractions.