Frost Brown Todd attorney Phil Hartmann will be recognized with the Amicus Service Award by the International Municipal Lawyers Association (IMLA) at its mid-year seminar and awards ceremony in Washington D.C. in April. IMLA recognizes lawyers who have been actively involved in legal advocacy on behalf of local governments and IMLA, and who have done exemplary work to protect and advance local government interests.
In 2014, Hartmann contributed an amicus brief on behalf of the City of Upper Arlington in a lawsuit challenging a Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RULUPA) zoning regulation. Amicus briefs are letters to the courts, written by individuals who are not party to a lawsuit, but have strong interest in a matter. After petitioning the court and receiving permission, they submit a “brief” with the intent of influencing the court’s decision. The court then determines whether or not to consider the information within the brief. The case is currently scheduled for oral argument on April 29, 2015, before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Hartmann is an attorney in Frost Brown Todd’s Columbus office and Government Services Practice Group. He serves clients in matters related to land use and zoning, eminent domain, real estate acquisition, annexation, home rule charter drafting, economic development and administrative appeals. He counsels a wide variety of clients from cities and villages, traditional and charter school districts, to private sector clients. He also serves as law director for the City of Pickerington, where he counsels the city on day-to-day matters.