Many lawyers and most laypeople take for granted the services provided and regulations imposed by their “home town”. But they rarely think about why and how those services and regulations come to be. Local taxes may raise their ire and land use decisions may cause them distress, but their usual reaction is that the local authorities have somehow got it wrong.

This CLE course will explain the framework of municipalities, school districts and municipal authorities, the extent of their powers, and the limitations on their actions. This is essential information for real estate and land use practitioners, but is also valuable background for litigators, people with an interest in local politics and anyone who wonders why things are done the way they are in the place where they live and work.