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Public Records Act Basics & More - Virtual Workshop

Dates: April 6, April 13, April 25, or May 11
Time: 9 AM - 4 PM
Cost: $140 (Scholarships Available - See Below)
Capacity: Maximum 75 Registrants per Workshop Date
Credits: CML (R), CLE (Pending Approval), WAPRO (Pending Approval)
Also meets Open Government Training Act requirements

REGISTER

These workshops utilize many of the engagement tools in Zoom. We strongly recommend that each individual wishing to attend registers separately and joins with their own computer. Furthermore, we can only provide attendance certificates (for training credits) to registrants.

Workshop Overview

This virtual workshop will provide an in-depth review of the Public Records Act (PRA), starting with the PRA basics and then delving into more details about processing PRA requests, as well as covering public records management. MRSC is conducting this popular workshop four days this spring.

Educational Objectives

This training will help your local government stay in compliance with the increasingly demanding world of public records requests and records retention by providing a solid foundation in the basics of the PRA, practical tips, a review of the PRA request process, and other related topics. Attendees will also have access to a pre-recorded PRA Case Law Highlights 2023 webinar for no additional charge.

Workshop Agenda

In the morning we will focus on the basics of the Public Records Act, including an in-depth exploration of the legal aspects of the PRA. In the afternoon we will cover the more practical process of responding to a records request.

Morning
9:00—10:30 am Public Records Act basics
10:30—10:45 am Break
10:45 am—12 pm Basics continued; Interactive Discussion
Afternoon
1:00—2:15 pm 5 Steps in a PRA Request, Part I
2:15—2:30 pm Break
2:30—3:15 pm 5 Steps in a PRA Request, Part II
3:15—4 pm Questions, Discussion, and Advanced Topics

Who Should Attend?

Local government attorneys, new public records officers and employees, and elected officials seeking to meet the Open Government Trainings Act requirements.

Presenters

  • Sarah Doar, Legal Consultant, MRSC (Every Session). Sarah Doar joined MRSC in September 2018. Most recently, she served as a Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Island County. At Island County, Sarah advised on many aspects of government business, including compliance with public record and opening meeting laws. She also defended the County in Growth Management Act and Land Use litigation. Prior to moving to Washington, Sarah practiced land use, environmental, and appellate law in Florida for over eight years. Sarah holds a B.A. in Biology from Case Western Reserve University and a J.D. with a certificate in environmental and land use law from Florida State University College of Law.
  • Linda Gallagher, Legal Consultant, MRSC (April 6). Linda joined MRSC in 2017. She previously served as a Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for King County and as an Assistant Attorney General. Linda’s municipal law experience includes risk management, torts, civil rights, transit, employment, workers compensation, eminent domain, vehicle licensing, law enforcement, corrections, and public health. She graduated from the University of Washington School of Law.
  • Steve Gross, Legal Consultant, MRSC (April 13). Steve Gross joined MRSC as a legal consultant in January 2020, having worked in municipal law and government for over 20 years as an assistant city attorney for Lynnwood, Seattle, Tacoma, and Auburn, and as the city attorney for Port Townsend and Auburn. He also has been a legal policy advisor for the Pierce County Council and has worked in contract administration. He is a graduate of Appalachian State University and the University of Puget Sound School of Law.  
  • Flannary Collins, Managing Attorney, MRSC (April 25). Flannary first joined MRSC as a legal consultant in August 2013 after serving as assistant city attorney for the city of Shoreline where she advised all city departments on a wide range of issues. At MRSC, Flannary enjoys providing legal guidance to municipalities on all municipal issues, including the OPMA, PRA, and personnel. She also serves on the WSAMA Board of Directors as Secretary-Treasurer. 
  • Oskar Rey, Legal Consultant, MRSC (May 11). Oskar has practiced municipal law since 1995 and served as Assistant City Attorney for the City of Kirkland from 2005 to 2016, where he worked on a wide range of municipal topics, including land use, public records, and public works. Oskar is a life-long resident of Washington and graduated from the University of Washington School of Law in 1992.

Credits

Training Scholarships

  • Washington Cities Insurance Authority (WCIA) Members: This MRSC webinar qualifies for reimbursement under WCIA’s Training Reimbursement Program and is eligible for reimbursement. Program can be applied under the entity’s annual 1 percent training reimbursement allotment. Requestors must confer with their entity’s assigned WCIA Delegate and/or Alternate for reimbursement authorization. Requests must be submitted through the WCIA Origami Member Portal by the designated Origami user. For questions about reimbursement or determining your WCIA Delegate, Alternate or Origami user, contact WCIA Member Services at memberservices@wciapool.org.
  • Read about other scholarship opportunities.
Payment Policy: Payment for this webinar is completed online by credit card only. If you need to be billed, there will be a $5.00 administrative fee added to your registration fee. Please contact jrice@mrsc.org if you need to request an invoice for this webinar.

Refund Policy: Registration closes at 11:59 PM two days before each workshop. All cancellations before the registration deadline are subject to a $15 administrative fee; no refunds for no-shows or cancellations after the registration deadline. Please contact jrice@mrsc.org if you need to request a refund.