December 17, 2013 decision in Smith v. Township of Richmond affirms Commonwealth Court ruling in favor of Township and hones in on the nature of "deliberations." (See SLB 98, September 11, 2012 for additional details on the case). What Happened In 2010, the Township of Richmond was involved in litigation with a cement company and a citizen group regarding the expansion of a limestone quarry into … [Read more...] about Pennsylvania Supreme Court Clarifies Limits on Private Meeting Discussions By Public Entities
KingSpry Blog
Recent Commonwealth Court Ruling Has Substantial Impact on Transportation for Schools
Last week, the Commonwealth Court arrived at a decision that will significantly impact the transportation schedules, cost of operations, and protocols for safely ensuring transportation to students in public, charter and private schools. In Timothy Watts v. Manheim School District, the court was faced with a question not previously addressed in Pennsylvania: is a school district obligated to … [Read more...] about Recent Commonwealth Court Ruling Has Substantial Impact on Transportation for Schools
Adopting? The Best Question Isn’t Who or What, But Why?
Many years ago, I attended a lecture in which the speaker attempted to distinguish what “authority” means to a lawyer as opposed to a psychologist. According to the speaker, greater weight is given to legal opinions based on who issued them. For example, a decision of an appellate court carries more weight than that of a trial court. In contrast, psychologists make decisions based the “what” of … [Read more...] about Adopting? The Best Question Isn’t Who or What, But Why?
Fascinating Solutions Inspire the Ranks at ART Law Conference
This past week, I attended a conference on the state of Assisted Reproductive Technology – “A Global Approach to Family Formation” brought together nearly 1000 of my colleagues for an intense three days and made me realize that, no matter where in the world we practice ART law, we are all addressing the same issues, and all looking for creative ways to find legal solutions for our … [Read more...] about Fascinating Solutions Inspire the Ranks at ART Law Conference
Media Coverage Increases, But Good Placement Remains The Goal This November
November is National Adoption Month! If you have not noticed, the media is alight with articles about adoption issues these days. These range from the Portraits of an Adoption series sponsored by adoption.net to local news coverage about adoption issues. My current favorite is the very well-reasoned response of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute to the recent Reuters series on … [Read more...] about Media Coverage Increases, But Good Placement Remains The Goal This November
Oklahoma Supreme Court Allows Baby Veronica To Go Home With Adoptive Parents
The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Monday lifted a stay placed on an adoption dispute involving a Cherokee girl that was keeping her with her father and blocking an Order recognizing the adoption by her adoptive parents. After a two-year legal battle, Baby Veronica is reunited with her adoptive family. However, the battle may not be over. To recap, in 2009, a couple from South Carolina began adoption … [Read more...] about Oklahoma Supreme Court Allows Baby Veronica To Go Home With Adoptive Parents
