Inside Oakland Breakfast Forum: Oakland City Attorney John Russo

Come to the "Inside Oakland Breakfast Forum" and hear from people who affect the policies and progress of the city in which we live and do business.

Friday,October 16, 2009
8:30 - 10 a.m.
Chamber Board Room

Featured Speaker: Oakland City Attorney John Russo.

As the first-elected City Attorney of Oakland, John Russo set out to transform the City Attorney's office into a dynamic, effective advocate for the City and its residents. In so doing, Russo created the Neighborhood Law Corps, an award-winning, innovative program where neighborhood-based attorneys fight blight, drug dealing, and other quality of life issues in the poorest areas of Oakland.

In conversation with Chamber members, Russo will discuss a major, new initiative: the Special Prosecution Team, a new criminal law unit created in partnership with the District Attorney. Three criminal attorneys in the City Attorney's Office focus on misdemeanor quality-of-life crimes, which have not always been prosecuted in Oakland in the past. It's based on the Broken Windows theory – that small crimes bring down the quality of life of the community and invariably contribute to more serious crime. Russo will also outline the Annual Report for the City Attorney's Office which he likens to a shareholders report for taxpayers and businesses in the city – review and analysis of litigation trends, financial results and new initiatives.

**Admission: Free to Chamber members; $10 for non-members.

**RSVP required by Wednesday, July 15, 2009. RSVP to speterson@oaklandchamber.com or 510-874-4817.