TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Attorney to join amicus briefs that align with the annually adopted City of Long Beach State Legislative Agenda and/or Federal Legislative Agenda, and to request subsequent affirmation by the City Council. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The City Attorney’s Office regularly receives requests to join amicus briefs in cases in which the outcome will impact local governmental entities and their communities. Amicus briefs are filed by a non-party to the litigation and typically support the position of one party or a particular outcome when such case raises novel or significant issues which will impact the party submitting the amicus brief. Amicus briefs are important tools to help educate the court by providing additional relevant information or legal arguments.
Up until now, and when there is sufficient time to do so, the City Council has specifically authorized the City Attorney’s Office to join each amicus brief during a noticed closed session meeting. However, often, the City receives extremely short notice of an amicus brief opportunity, preventing it from joining the brief to support its important policy stances on various issues which affect the City, its residents, and its visitors.
In order to avoid such missed opportunities which may directly impact Long Beach and the local community, we are requesting that the City Council authorize the City Attorney’s Office, acting on its own authority, to join amicus briefs that in the judgment of the City Attorney align with the adopted City of Long Beach State Legislative Agenda and/or Federal Legislative Agenda. The Intergovernmental Affairs Committee (which recently combined the former Federal Legislation Committee and State Legislation Committee) adopts State and Federal Legislative Agendas on an annual basis. Our office would ensure any amicus brief the City joins properly aligns with the agendas in effect at the time of signing the brief, and would subsequently place an item on a...
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