Message from the Chair
 Darcee S. Siegel GPSLD Chair |
Welcome to the ABA's Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division! Hello! I am delighted to represent the American Bar Association's government and public sector lawyers as the Division's 2007-08 Chair. I look forward to continuing to ensure that the voice of the public practitioner is heard. And I am excited about continuing the Division’s work of developing and offering practical, timely products and services to its members. I have served in the public sector for more than 20 years. I am currently an in-house Assistant City Attorney for the City of North Miami Beach, handling litigation. I have been with the City of North Miami Beach for 12 years. Prior to that, I was an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Hollywood. And before that, I worked for the City of Miami in the City Attorney's Office. The mission of the Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division is to provide publications, programming, and services of specific interest to public lawyers. The Division's quarterly newsletter, Pass It On, reports on Division activity and carries pieces on topics such as transitioning to private practice, determining who is the government lawyer's client, and tips on litigation. The Division’s magazine, The Public Lawyer, provides the latest information on complex issues such as government attorney-client privilege, the hiring of private outside counsel, politically motivated dismissals, and restrictions on pro bono work. Ethical Considerations in Public Sector Law, the Division's hallmark CLE program continues to be presented across the nation to audiences hungry for programs that specifically address their concerns. The Division works in cooperation with state and local bar groups to reach out to public lawyers in all parts of the country. Ethical Considerations in Public Sector Law uses an entertaining, interactive format with short skits illustrating timely hypothetical scenarios. I hope you will have the opportunity to attend a Division CLE program, or even participate as a panelist or moderator. Please contact the Division if you are interested in participating in a CLE program. The Division is also committed to providing information and programming on the important topic of public law office management. Check out our Public Law Office Management (PLOM) pages on this Web site where you will find information on tried and true public law office management techniques, supervising strategies, and recruiting and retaining excellent employees. Last year, we launched a new PLOM CLE program: Public Law Office Management 101: Strategies, Solutions and Ethics Rule Implications. Watch these pages (under Meetings/Events and CLE) for more information! Created to provide benefits and services for military lawyers, the Division's Military Lawyers Conference (MLC) continues to thrive. The MLC's newsletter, Reveille, contains case updates, military law news, resources on transitioning to civilian life, and information on professional development opportunities. Membership in the Military Lawyers Conference is free for Division members. The Division also works to publicize the extraordinary work of public law offices and individual government and public sector lawyers. Too often, accomplishments in the public sector are overlooked or ignored. The Division's awards program educates the legal and lay communities about some of the truly remarkable work occurring in public law offices around the country. If you are already a Division member and want to become more involved, please browse our Web page for information about serving on a committee, writing an article, proposing a project, or attending a Division program, meeting or reception -- they are wonderful opportunities to network. If you aren't a Division member, I hope that you will join us. Law student Division memberships are free, so I especially encourage law students to join and get a better understanding of the work public lawyers do, before entering the workforce. We warmly welcome your involvement. Should you have questions or comments please contact us at GPSLD@abanet.org. I welcome your suggestions. Very truly yours, Darcee S. Siegel Chair |
