This program is eligible for 1 hour of CLE credit in 60-minute states. In 50-minute states, this program is eligible for 1.2 hours of CLE credit. Credit hours are estimated and are subject to each state’s approval and credit rounding rules.
Overview
This panel will explore recent developments, challenges, and compliance considerations under Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act. Topics will include evolving interpretations of "deliberation" and "official action," the use of technology in public meetings, notice requirements, and strategies for managing public comment and executive sessions. Panelists will share practical guidance for municipal solicitors, elected officials, and administrators seeking to navigate transparency obligations while maintaining effective governance. Recent case law and legislative updates will also be addressed.
Recorded in June 2025.
Faculty
J. Chadwick Schnee, Esq.
Mr. Schnee is the principal of Schnee Legal Services, LLC. His practice extends throughout the Commonwealth, and he regularly litigates complicated Right-to-Know Law and Sunshine Act matters on behalf of government agencies, members of the public, and others. Prior to founding Schnee Legal Services, LLC, Mr. Schnee served as the First Assistant County Solicitor for the Berks County and represented the county in labor and employment law, election law, data security matters, elder law, and bail forfeiture matters, among other practice areas. Formerly, Mr. Schnee served as the Assistant Chief Counsel of the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records. As the OOR’s Assistant Chief Counsel, he argued and briefed numerous matters concerning open records and government transparency in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the Commonwealth Court, and courts of common pleas, and testified before the General Assembly. In addition to providing training and guidance regarding open records laws, Mr. Schnee tracked and analyzed pending legislation affecting open government. He regularly writes regarding open-records matters, most recently in an article titled “What Every Lawyer Needs To Know About The Right-To-Know Law” appearing in Pennsylvania Bar Association Quarterly in July 2012. Prior to joining the OOR, he served as an associate with Campbell Durrant Beatty Palombo & Miller, P.C., and represented public sector clients in matters involving open-records law, employment law, and municipal law. Mr. Schnee previously served as a judicial extern for the Hon. Chief Judge Donetta Ambrose of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. He is a cum laude graduate of the University of Rochester and received his JD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Joshua D. Bonn, Esq.
Mr. Bonn is a trial attorney who represents clients in the railroad, automotive, media, insurance and financial industries. He also advises several mid-state municipalities and is the Solicitor for the Capital Tax Collection Bureau. He formerly worked as an assistant district attorney in York County, Pennsylvania. Mr. Bonn has a Distinguished™ rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Bonn has extensive experience representing municipalities, individuals and media entities in public records litigation under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law (RTKL). He routinely briefs and argues open records appeals in the Office of Open Records (OOR) and in trial and appellate courts. As a member of the firm’s Municipal Law practice group, Mr. Bonn serves as the Solicitor for the Capital Area Tax Collection Bureau, and counsels local governments in governance, zoning, land use and subdivision, codes enforcement, and public records matters. Mr. Bonn was the Solicitor for Camp Hill Borough from 2018-2020.
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