Legislative and Administrative Drafting Services
The Public Law Center provides legislative and administrative drafting services to nonprofit and governmental organizations in the New Orleans metropolitan area and throughout Louisiana. The Public Law Center offers its expertise in legislative and administrative research and drafting to organizations and policymakers who are traditionally underrepresented in the legislative process. The Public Law Center also offers the support of students enrolled in its clinical courses in providing research, legislative analysis, and drafting.
Since its inception in 1988, The Public Law Center has been instrumental in the passage of many laws and rules affecting the public interest. A list of these accomplishments can be found at The Public Law Center Legislative and Administrative Accomplishments.
Community Benefit Agreements
Community Benefit Agreements (CBA’s) are a tool developed by social justice advocates, labor organizers, and community groups to address community and labor concerns related to economic development projects. CBA’s are legally enforceable contracts between community coalitions and developers. In exchange for support from community members, developers agree to deliver identifiable benefits to local area residents. CBA’s have been utilized to require that developers build affordable housing, give preference to local residents or low-income individuals in hiring, pay a living wage and provide benefits to employees, use environmentally-friendly building techniques, provide child care, establish job training and placement centers, provide for public green space, and deliver much more to the communities impacted by a proposed development.
Services to the Community
TPLC's Executive Director published an article in The Urban Lawyer, discussing how CBA's empower community groups in the planning process for major public-private developments: Community Benefit Agreements: New Vehicle for Investment in America's Neighborhoods.
The Public Law Center has worked with community groups in New Orleans on CBA campaigns that encourage developers to partner with community members and contribute substantive benefits to the communities in which they are locating their businesses and developments. Based on this experience, the Concentric Circles Organizing Memorandum was drafted to guide community groups in their efforts to create effective CBA campaigns. In addition, The Public Law Center has drafted the CBC Operating Agreement and Principles, an agreement between Coalition members establishing an organizational structure, leadership, and ethical guidelines that enhance effective opearation of the Coalition. Community groups are free to utilize these model documents for their own Coalitions and to make any changes necessary to meet the particular needs of their Coalition.
For more information on CBA’s and CBA campaigns nationwide, visit the websites of the following organizations:
A Project of Partnership for Working Families
CBA Manual
LAANE
Community Impact Research
The Public Law Center conducts policy research and legal analysis projects for nonprofit organizations and community groups. In response to one community organization’s concern about criminal activity around alcoholic beverage outlets in its community, TPLC drafted a summary of legal actions and remedies available to neighborhood organizations in response to. Neighborhood Nuisance Memo. This type of research empowers community members to take action for the betterment of their community.