This year, the Law Department will host its 30th Annual two-day CLE Conference, Life in the Big City, during which attorneys are invited to complete their CLE credit requirement through a series of courses planned and presented by their colleagues*. This is a unique opportunity provided to Law Department attorneys to complete their requirements free-of-charge.

This year’s conference will take place August 8-9, 2025. We are excited to welcome attorneys and staff for a day of in-person learning at the Philadelphia Convention Center, followed by a day of virtual courses. 

The Law Department’s CLE Conference is entirely developed and led by our talented staff attorneys. Attorneys volunteer their time to select a course topic that interests them, and work to secure a panel of expert speakers.  

Attendees will also hear from featured speaker, Jennifer Coatsworth, Esq.,  Partner at Margolis Edelstein and Chancellor at the Philadelphia Bar Association. Learn more about Jennifer’s background here. 

 

Check out what the Law Department will be learning during Life in the Big City below: 

Life in the Big City, Day 1:

“Election Law: Defending Democracy”

In this election year, learn more about the logistics of Philadelphia elections, the roles of counties and states in elections, changes and challenges since the 2020 general election, and Pennsylvania election law. 

Coordinated by: Alison Stohr, Alison Stohr, Esq., Deputy City Solicitor, Affirmative and Special Litigation Unit and Ryan Smith, Esq., Deputy City Solicitor, Affirmative and Special Litigation Unit 

Speakers include: 

  • Stephanie Reid, Director of Elections Administration, Philadelphia Board of Elections  
  • Neil Mahkija, Esq., Montgomery County Commissioner  
  • Al Schmidt, Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 

“Thirty Years of CLE: Evolution of the Law Department”

This course will examine the changes in the City of Philadelphia Law Department and practicing municipal law over the last 30 years from the perspectives of former City Solicitors appointed under the Kenney, Nutter, and Street Administrations. Hear about the lessons these leaders gained in stewarding the Department through demanding tasks and times.  

Coordinated by: Renee Garcia, City Solicitor 

Speakers include: 

  • Sozi Pedro Tulante, Esq., General Counsel, Form Energy 
  • Shelley R. Smith, Esq., Archer & Greiner, P.C., Partner Business Litigation and Labor & Employment Groups; Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer  
  • Kenneth I. Trujillo, Esq., Shareholder, Chamberlain Hrdlicka 

“More Than an Avenue: Girard’s Will, Charitable Trusts, and the Heart of Philadelphia”

This course will delve into the history of Stephen Girard’s will and its distinction as the most litigated will in America, the role that Girard’s Estate and other charitable trusts have played in shaping Philadelphia, and the desegregation of Girard College as established by Girard’s estate. 

Coordinated by: Margot Smith, Esq., Deputy City Solicitor, Right to Know Unit and Maxelle Neufville, Esq., Assistant City Solicitor, Real Estate and Development Unit 

Speakers include: 

  • Charles M. Gibbs, Esq., Member, Law Offices of McMonagle Perri McHugh Mischak Davis 
  • Kathy Haas, Director of Historical Resources, Girard College 

 

Life in the Big City, Day 2:

“Education and Inequality: the Impact of Unconstitutionality”

In 2023, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court declared Pennsylvania’s school funding system, which relies heavily on local income and property taxes, unconstitutional for the unequal treatment of students in low-wealth districts. This course will examine how the system perpetuates funding inequities, how these inequities intersect with race, and the implications on students in the City of Philadelphia and elsewhere.  

Coordinated by: Kira Meibos, Esq., Deputy City Solicitor, Child Welfare Unit and Yin Peng, Esq., Assistant City Solicitor, Tax and Revenue Unit 

Speakers include: 

  • ShaVon Y. Savage, Esq., Founder and Managing Member of Mosaic School Support Solutions 
  • Roseann Liu, Visiting Assistant Professor of Educational Studies, Swarthmore College  

“Administrative and Environmental Fallout in the Aftermath of Loper Bright – the End of Chevron Deference”

The United States Supreme Court’s decisions on administrative law, including overturning Chevron deference (Loper Bright) and extending the statute of limitations for administrative challenges (Corner Post), have significant implications for federal, state, and municipal governments seeking to regulate, among others, the environment and public health. Our panelists will provide an overview of how federal and state law collectively inform the City of Philadelphia’s environmental policy and practices.  

Coordinated by: Jane Hwang, Esq., Deputy City Solicitor, Regulatory Law Unit and Derek Kane, Esq., Deputy City Solicitor, Civil Rights Unit 

Speakers include: 

  • Craig Green, Esq., Charles Klein Professor of Law and Government, Temple University Beasley School of Law 
  • James R. May, Distinguished Professor of Law and Founder of the Global Environmental Rights Institute, Widener University Delaware Law School 

“A Tree Grown in Philly: Green Spaces, Safer Spaces, and Accessibility and Challenges”

This course will explore the health and safety benefits of green spaces in urban areas as well as the legal and logistical challenges that come with acquiring and utilizing those spaces in Philadelphia. 

Coordinated by: Cynthia Schnieder, Esq., Senior Attorney, Child Welfare Unit and Andre Mason, Esq., Assistant City Solicitor, Labor and Employment Unit 

Speakers include: 

  • Erica Smith Fichman, City Forester, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation 
  • Sari Berstein, Esq., Staff Attorney, The Public Interest Law Center 

 

*Continuing Legal Education (CLE) is mandatory professional education completed by attorneys each year following their initial admission to the bar. CLE ensures that practicing attorneys in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania maintain their professional competence in accordance with current Pennsylvania law and ethics standards.

Attorneys in the Law Department are required to complete 12 CLE credits per year, in the form of legal training presented by experienced attorneys. This requirement includes CLE training in a range of topics, including basic legal skills, ethics, diversity, and more.  

 Follow us on LinkedIn for a recap after the event.