Office of the Law Revision Counsel Website Review

The Research, Editorial, Legal and Commission Staff (RELACS) professional association is proud to nowadays a multi-function serial of interactive webinars and virtual meetings geared toward legislative staff who conduct research, draft and edit legislation, examine legal issues, and staff legislative committees.

These sessions volition feature legislative staff, NCSL staff and other experts. Participants will accept the opportunity to share what is happening in their state and enquire questions.

Supreme Courtroom Elections Cases

Thursday, September 9, 2021

2 p.chiliad. ET/ 1 p.m. CT/ Noon MT/ 11 a.m. PT

This webinar will provide a deep dive into two recently decided U.Southward. Supreme Courtroom elections cases. In Brnovich 5. Autonomous National Commission the Supreme Court upheld 2 Arizona voting requirements which the DNC argued had a disparate impact on non-white voters in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Deed. Importantly, the court applied a number of factors which will use in future cases. Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta isn't obviously an elections case. The court held California violated the Kickoff Amendment by requiring charitable organizations to disclose their major donors to the state attorney general. In dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote the court'south conclusion "marks reporting and disclosure requirements with a bull'southward-middle." Talk over what these decisions hateful for state legislatures with Jessica Ring Amunson, Jenner & Block, and Erin Spud, Kirkland & Ellis. Susan Parnas Frederick, NCSL, will discuss proposed federal legislation related to voting rights.

Register Here

2021: An Editing Odyssey

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

2 p.m. ET/ i p.thou. CT/ Apex MT/ xi a.m. PT

For many legislative editors, the pandemic meant shifting to remote work for the starting time time. Legislative editing teams across the country adult new ways to read and edit the tens of thousands of documents that must be reviewed during regular and special legislative sessions. This Zoom discussion volition provide editors the opportunity to share lessons learned and innovations that enabled them to effectively serve their legislatures.

Annals here

Redesigning Written Reports for Online Viewing

Midweek, October 13, 2021

two p.m. ET/ 1 p.one thousand. CT/ Apex MT/ 11 a.m. PT

COVID-19 has drastically affected the piece of work of legislative staff, including the fashion legislative staff prepare reports for the legislature. Legislators are busier than always, many are working remotely, and much of what they read is accessed on a computer screen. Redesigning lengthy written documents as more than concise, digital files requires an understanding of how to synthesize data and use visually descriptive tools to convey information. This session will explore ways to redesign written reports for online viewing.

Annals Here

Meetings Coming Soon

Remote Sessions: Examining Ramble Bug

Appointment TBD

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, for the starting time time in history some legislatures convened remotely or partially remotely and adapted fence and voting procedures to let for remote participation. In some states, public and media access to the capitol has been limited, and, as a result, the processes for testimony earlier legislative committees take inverse. Practise these changes to debate and voting procedures, public testimony and public meetings align with state constitutions? A panel of legislative attorneys will discuss how legislative processes have inverse in the wake of COVID-19 and whether there are constitutional issues with these changes.

To register please email RELACS (This coming together is open up to legislators and legislative staff just.)

Read and Evaluate Research: Vetting for Accurateness and Objectivity

Engagement TBD

Unlike articles published in established police force reviews and medical journals, information online is not always checked for accuracy. At that place are fifty-fifty some online science "journals" that are not real. Equally researchers, legislative staff must get together the most authentic information on the policy issues they are asked to written report. When there is bias, they must identify that and provide all sides of the issue. But, how do nosotros gather data and decide its source and reliability? Legislative staff with expertise on vetting research will help participants navigate online sources and discuss the best ways to evaluate for reliability and credibility.

This webinar volition be open up to all legislators, legislative staff and NCSL partner organizations.

Past Meetings

RELACS Annual Business organisation Meeting

August half dozen, 2021.  Research, Editorial, Legal and Committee staff gathered for their annual business organisation coming together, including election of officers, presentation of awards and discussion of upcoming professional staff association activities.

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2021: An Editing Odessey

For many legislative editors, the pandemic meant shifting to remote piece of work for the first time. Legislative editing teams across the country developed new ways to read and edit the tens of thousands of documents that must be reviewed during regular and special legislative sessions. This Zoom discussion will provide editors the opportunity to share lessons learned and innovations that enabled them to effectively serve their legislatures.

View Webinar

Inside the United State Code

This webinar offered an overview of the functions of the Function of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives, including editing and updating the United States Code, positive police force codification and some pro tips for using the United States Lawmaking online.

Moderator:

• Michael Duchek,senior legislative chaser and authoritative rules counsel, Legislative Reference Bureau, Wisconsin

Speakers:

Ralph Seep, law revision counsel, Role of the Police Revision Counsel, U.Due south. House of Representatives

Ralph Seep serves as the Law Revision Counsel for the United states Firm of Representatives. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Matriarch and Duke University School of Law. He spent 15 years with a private visitor working in a legal editorial capacity with responsibility for various Federal and State legal publications. Mr. Seep has worked in the Office of Law Revision Counsel since 1992. He became the Deputy Law Revision Counsel in September, 2008, and Law Revision Counsel in June, 2011.

Rob Sukol, deputy law revision counsel, Role of the Law Revision Counsel, U.Southward. Business firm of Representatives

Rob Sukol serves as the Deputy Constabulary Revision Counsel for the United states of america Firm of Representatives. He is a graduate of Temple University and Rutgers University School of Law. Rob joined the Office of Police Revision Counsel in 1994. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2008 and Deputy Law Revision Counsel in 2011. Before joining the Office of the Police Revision Counsel, Rob spent x years working for the Social Security Assistants, and before that he was self-employed as a freelance musician.

View the Webinar

View PowerPoint

Editing in an Due east-Globe: Sharing Solutions Discovered During the Covid-xix Pandemic

Proofers marks? Dual reading? Stopping into someone's office to consider agile vs. passive phonation? Much of an editor's pre-pandemic work focused on face-to-face conversations and moving paper from point A to point B. Bring together united states to hash out challenges and innovations discovered when moving suddenly to full remote editing, examples of online communications among editors, and practices and electronic tools that can help editors practise their work from home. And we'll throw in a lifehack or two on piece of work/home integration.

Moderator:

• Kae Chiliad. Warnock, policy specialist, Legislative Staff Services, NCSL

Speakers:

• Fred Messerer, master deputy legislative counsel, California
• Wendy Jackson, administrative services manager, Legislative Reference Agency, Wisconsin
• Lilli Hausenfluck, main editor, Division of Legislative Services, Virginia
• Carey Eskridge, deputy division managing director, Legislative Quango, Texas

View the Presentation

Handouts:

• VA – How to -Toggle Smart Quotes with Keyboard Shortcut
• WI – PDF editing guide
• Icebreakers Handout

Supreme Court Roundup: Office 1

The U.Southward. Supreme Court had an exciting term with groundbreaking cases and a pin to virtual oral arguments. Watch a epitomize of the webinar and hear from the State and Local Legal Centre Primary Counsel and Executive Director Lisa Soronen talk over the well-nigh meaningful and impactful Supreme Court cases with land touch. This was the start of two singled-out programs and focused on the biggest cases decided this term.

Speaker:

• Lisa Soronen, executive director, State and Local Legal Center (SLLC).

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Supreme Court Roundup: Part 2

The U.Southward. Supreme Court had an exciting term with groundbreaking cases and a pivot to virtual oral arguments. Watch a recap of the webinar and hear from the State and Local Legal Center Chief Counsel and Executive Director Lisa Soronen discuss the about meaningful and impactful Supreme Court cases with land affect. This was be the second of 2 distinct programs and focused on cases granted for the October 2020 term.

Speaker:

• Lisa Soronen, executive director, State and Local Legal Eye (SLLC).

View Webinar

Permit's Zoom

Take a crash course in Zoom.  Learn to navigate basic and advanced Zoom operations to ameliorate facilitate remote meetings in 2020 and beyond. Learn tips and tricks to brand your next meeting a success. Larn the settings that volition raise security, how to share your screen and use PowerPoint, run a Zoom poll, and run breakout rooms for your participants. Bring your questions and leave with a better understanding about how to effectively use the platform.

Speaker:

• Kae K. Warnock, policy specialist, Legislative Staff Services, NCSL

Handouts:

• Archived Course Recording
• Let's Zoom Handout

Emergency Powers and Legislative Oversight

Most governors issued emergency declarations this twelvemonth regarding COVID-19. In many states, the laws regarding executive emergency powers were put in identify when state constitutions were get-go drafted. Until the pandemic reached the U.s.a., however, these executive powers had non been tested rigorously. What questions should legislatures be asking about these laws? Does a legislature take authority to intervene in a public wellness crunch every bit apace and completely as it may want or need to? This session will examine existing emergency powers and efforts by lawmakers to exercise legislative oversight.

Moderator:

• Tom Bottern, managing director, Senate Counsel, Research and Financial Analysis, Minnesota

Speakers:

• Raúl E. Burciaga, managing director, Legislative Council Service, New Mexico
• Julie Pelegrin, deputy managing director, Function of Legislative Legal Services, Colorado
• Claire Ness, counsel, Legislative Council, Northward Dakota
• Emily Thompson, lawmaking revisor, Legislative Council, Northward Dakota
• Andrea Brauer, staff attorney, Legislative Council, Wisconsin

Virtual Events: Engagement Is Central

In the COVID-19 era, much of our work has moved online. Most of our legislative business, from meetings to presentations to constituent interactions, exists in the virtual globe. This reality requires a new way of thinking almost participant appointment. You'll gain a set of online best practices designed to increase the bear upon and efficacy of your online interactions.

Speaker:

• Curt Stedron, director of legislative preparation, NCSL

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Source: https://www.ncsl.org/legislators-staff/legislative-staff/research-editorial-legal-and-committee-staff/relacs-virtual-meetings-series.aspx

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