We have a quorum! In this special 100th episode of Quorum Forum, we
celebrate a major milestone by hosting a special live recording from Ancel
Glink’s Chicago headquarters. Our featured guest is our friend and
colleague, Julie Tappendorf, who joins us on the eve of her retirement to
reflect on her career in local government law. In this career
retrospective, Julie shares the professional lessons she learned along her
journey—from her early days in military intelligence to becoming a local government lawyer.
Episode Highlights
• From Cryptology to Codes: Julie reflects on her eight
years as a Korean cryptologic-linguist in the U.S. Army and how the discipline
of military intelligence prepared her for legal practice.
• The Land Use Landscape: We review the evolution of
development and annexation agreements. Julie explains how these contracts
reduce adversarial friction and why formal agreements are critical for risk
management.
• Municipal Minute: Julie shares the origin story of her
award-winning blog, Municipal Minute, which has registered over 3.3
million visits. She discusses her foresight in identifying social media as a
legal issue for local governments as early as 2011.
• Social Media After Lindke: What the Supreme Court’s
ruling in Lindke v. Freed means for local officials. Julie provides
essential advice on maintaining separate personal and official accounts and
navigating the “actual authority” test.
• The Future of the Field: A candid discussion on the next
“tweeting into trouble” moment—Artificial Intelligence. Julie warns
about the risks of AI “hallucinations” and the importance of
verifying legal output.
• Public Comment Segment: Ancel Glink attorneys share the
most impactful lessons they have learned from Julie over the years, ranging
from effective meeting procedures to the “gold standard” of
responsiveness.
