The Role of the Lawyer by Carolyn W. Baldwin, Esq. Attorney and planning commission chairman Carolyn W. Baldwin discusses four different relationships between attorneys and planning commissions.
Lawyers appear in the planning commission's orbit in four distinct roles.
Each role has its place and the lawyer's contribution should be assessed according to the role assumed in any given situation. As Representative of the Applicant. When the applicant brings a lawyer, listen carefully to the presentation, but don't assume that the lawyer is necessarily right on every point, either of law or of fact. Lawyers in this situation are advocates and as such will be selective in the points they make to the commission. Lawyers who have done their job will be familiar with the commission's ordinance and regulations, especially the sections that pertain to their clients' applications.