Brown Bag Lecture Series
Public interest at the Local Level of Government
Therese Stewart, Chief Deputy City Attorney, spoke on July 13 as part of the Elizabeth J. Cabraser Summer Brown Bag Lecture Series. Ms. Stewart, who is a long-time LAS–ELC board member, held a wide-ranging discussion about the role of local government, and how changes at the local level can often prompt changes at the state and federal levels.
She cited earlier and more comprehensive city ordinances that were precursors to state laws regarding human rights, fair employment ordinances, and benefits for domestic partners. She also answered the difficult question of why it is important to implement local laws when there is strong indication that they may not be well enforced, or are apparently preempted by state laws or look destined to be over-turned by higher courts. She expressed her firm belief that “San Francisco doesn’t simply limit itself to what the city can do,” and gave examples of legislation and litigation in which San Francisco prodded the state into action by bringing issues to the public eye. On issues such as banking and ATM accessibility, marriage licenses, minority and women business enterprises, the city has forced the state to be responsive.
Finally, Ms. Stewart outlined some of the cases she has been able to work on as the Chief Deputy Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco including Strauss v. Horton and Perry v. Brown (formerly Schwarzennegger)—cases challenging Proposition 8 and the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage.