The California First Amendment Coalition (CFAC) invites you to Submit a Proposal to make a presentation at OpenGov02, a convergence of journalists, attorneys, civic activists and government leaders exploring current open government issues in California and beyond. We are looking for enlightening, thought-provoking presentations and discussions about the law and practical experiences with access to government meetings and information.

Selected presenters will receive free conference registration and recognition in the conference program and marketing materials. You will share your knowledge and experiences with conference participants and will be expected to participate in question-and-answer sessions at the end of your presentations, which will be one of the following:

Roundtable Discussions
One-hour sessions that provide an opportunity for an intimate discussion for up to 15 participants on key topics.
Concurrent Sessions
Two-hour presentations featuring individuals or a panel of experts discussing a single topic.
Symposiums
Three-hour intensive, in-depth workshops covering specialized areas of open government law or journalism practices.

Criteria
CFAC's program committee will be looking for presentations pertinent to the suggested presentation topics listed below, but all proposed topics will be considered. The committee will accept individual presenters and will also assemble panels of speakers on some topics.

Suggested Presentation Topics

Access to Government

• Public Records Laws and Issues: Don't Take 'No' for an Answer
• Ralph M. Brown Act: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
• Open Government/Privacy Tensions
• Citizen Voices at Public Meetings
• Attacking the Public Records Act's Deliberative Process Exemption
• Should Public Attorneys Represent the Public, too?
  Electronic Access to Records and What it Should Cost
• How Recent Legislation Affects Open Government
• A Constitutional Sunshine Amendment: What It Might Do

Civil Liberties

• What Everyone Should Know about First Amendment Rights
• Free Speech in Malls. Apartment Buildings and Gated Communities
• How to Protect Yourself When Fighting the Rich and Powerful
• Technology and Civil Liberties: Blessing or Curse?
• SLAPP Suit Strategies
• Free Speech, Free Press & Prior Restraint
• Shield Law: Legal and Journalistic Perspectives
• Free Speech and the Initiative Process

Access to Law Enforcement and the Courts

• Case Law: What's Public, What's Not, and How to Demand Your Rights
• The Dwindling Crime Information Trend: Strategies for Reporters
• Access to Courtrooms and Court Records
• Auditing the Records Law Enforcement Releases....and Doesn't
• California's New Rules on Sealing Court Records
• Access to Prisons, Prisoners and Executions
• Remote Access to Digital Court Records

How to Demand and Improve Government Transparency

• Litigating California Public Records Act (CPRA) Issues
• Brown Act Litigation and Enforcement
• Strategies for Proposing and Passing a Local Sunshine Ordinance
• Conducting an Effective CPRA Compliance Audit
• How to Reduce Copy Fees for Public Records

On Campus: Press Freedoms and Press Access

• Open Government Law and Student Journalism
• Access to Lower and Higher Education School Records
• What to Do When the Administration Confiscates Your Newspaper
• Advertising, Free Speech, and Newspaper Standards
• Ethics and Issues for Student Journalists

Selection Criteria

• Content, clarity and completeness of proposal
• Presenter's expertise and knowledge
• Relevance to conference theme
• Agreement to provide digital version of presentation, if applicable, for OpenGov02 Conference Web archive

The Fine Print

• Deadline for presentation proposals is June 10, 2002
• All proposals should be submitted on the official Call for Presentations form. The forms can be submitted ONLINE (Click Here) or they are available as a printable PDF file here: Presentation Proposal Form or as a printable Web page here: Presentation Proposal Web Page
• FAX completed form to (916) 974-8880 or    Mail form to:

• CFAC Call for Presentation, Suite 12

  2701 Cottage Way

  Sacramento, CA 95825

• Accepted presenters will receive free conference registration and recognition in the conference program and marketing materials
• Presenters utilizing computers must bring their own laptops to connect to projectors provided by the conference. (Projector accepts standard VGA connectors)
• Accepted presenters will be notified by e-mail or regular mail no later than June 24, 2002
• Attorneys are encouraged to consider an MCLE-quality presentation (CFAC will apply to the State Bar for MCLE status for presentations where appropriate)

Questions

For further information, email OpenGov@CFAC.org or call CFAC at (916) 974-8888.