The Oregon Attorney General’s Public Law Conference was first held in 1997 and has since evolved into a key event for state agency representatives. Its primary purpose is to update participants on the latest legal, regulatory, and policy issues relevant to public law. The event is organized by the General Counsel Division.
The PLC serves as a training and networking opportunity for attorneys and other professionals working with public agencies. In addition to the main sessions, workshops tailored to specific audiences, such as lay representatives, and individuals involved in rulemaking and rule writing are also offered.
The event also focuses on emerging challenges faced by employees of the state. Recent conferences have addressed contemporary topics like public records transparency, administrative law reforms, privacy issues and supervising remote workers. The conference regularly updates its attendees on changes in state legislation and compliance requirements. Keynote speakers typically include prominent legal figures and experts in public law. The conference occurs bi-annually with training being provided online and at the Salem Convention Center, providing ample opportunity for state-wide agency participation.
The next conference will occur in 2027.
Coming Soon! For a small fee, recordings from the 2025 Attorney General’s Public Law Conference will be available to view in the coming months.
List of content matter experts from the 2025 Attorney General’s Public Law Conference
| Introduction to Public Records Law and Processing Public Records Requests | David Pitcher, Public Records Counsel Stephanie Clark, Secretary of State Archivist |
| Recent Developments in Public Records Law | David Pitcher, Public Records Counsel |
| Tribal Relations: What should I know and what should I do? | Karen Clevering, Sr. Assistant Attorney General |
| Avoiding Pitfalls: Common Challenges in IT Contracting | John McCormick, AIC, Business Transaction Section |
| Supervising Unionized Employees: Understanding Labor Law Basics | Tessa Sugahara, AIC, Labor & Employment Section Brena Lopez, Sr. Assistant Attorney General |
| Employment Law 101: Understanding the Foundational Concepts | Sylvia Cramond, AAIC, Labor & Employment Section Tyler Anderson, Assistant Attorney General |
| Discrimination Retaliation and Whistleblowing: The Basics | Tessa Sugahara, AIC, Labor & Employment Section Yael Livny, Sr. Assistant Attorney General |
| ADA: Foundational Knowledge | Margaret Wilson, Sr. Assistant Attorney General Molly Christ, Sr. Assistant Attorney General |
| Leave Laws and ADA: Complex Scenarios | Sylvia Cramond, AAIC, Labor & Employment Section Joy Clark, Sr. Assistant Attorney General |
| Conducting Personnel Investigations to Meet Cause Standards | Brena Lopez, Sr. Assistant Attorney General Yael Livny, Sr. Assistant Attorney General |
| The Hearing Rep Role in a Successful Contested Case Hearing | Joanna Tucker Davis, Sr. Assistant Attorney General Matt DeVore, Sr. Assistant Attorney General |
| Rulemaking Process: How an Agency Makes Law | Pramela Reddi, Sr. Assistant Attorney Kyle Martin, AIC, Business Activities Section |
| Rules That Work: Drafting Administrative Rules with Confidence and Clarity | Melisse Cunningham, Sr. Assistant Attorney General |
| Nuts, Bolts and Legal Notes: Intro to Design and Construction Contracts | Andrea Goodwin, AIC, Infrastructure & Transportation Section Jennifer Biesack, Sr. Assistant Attorney General |
| How to Work with Money: Understanding Oregon’s Public Funds Laws | Sam Zeigler, Sr. Assistant Attorney General |
| Better Than Good, Grant-astic!: Grant Agreement Essentials & Best Practices | Steven Marlowe. Sr. Assistant Attorney General Wendy Johnson, Sr. Assistant Attorney General |
| DEI Goals: What you need to know now and strategies for how to meet them? | Karen Clevering, Sr. Assistant Attorney General |
| DOJ and State Contracting 101 | Karen Johnson, Sr. Assistant Attorney General |
| Beyond the Shoebox: Writing Contracts and Statements of Work that Work | Karen Johnson, Sr. Assistant Attorney General Shelby Robinson, Sr. Assistant Attorney General |
| IT Contracting -Cybersecurity and Data Protection | Ellen Flint, Sr. Assistant Attorney General Paul Lavigne, Business Security Advisory, Department of Administrative Services |
| DOJ: Who We Are and How We Can Help | Renee Stineman, Chief Counsel, General Counsel Division Sarah Weston, Deputy Chief Counsel, General Counsel Division |
| Investigations: From the Initial Report to the Contested Case | Kristen Williams, Sr. Assistant Attorney General Rachel Bertoni, Sr. Assistant Attorney General |
| Notice Drafting for Contested Cases – What You Should Know | Kyle Martin, AIC, Business Activities Section |
| Making it Through the Home Stretch: How to Draft a Final Order that Will Withstand Appeal | Kelly Routt, Sr. Assistant Attorney General |
| Beyond the Basics: What You Need to Know About Public Meetings and Compliance | Sean Brady, Sr. Assistant Attorney General Dan Gilbert, Sr. Assistant Attorney General |
Questions regarding the Attorney General’s Public Law Conference? Contact us at 503-947-4540 or email us at LawConference@doj.oregon.gov