Director's Message

Welcome to the Local Government Law Center

The center is the product of a long and fruitful collaboration among the Governor’s Office for Local Development, Northern Kentucky University, and the College of Law. The center began life in January 1987 as the Kentucky Municipal Law Center. Its initial purpose was to complement the support provided to counties by what is now called the Governer's Office for Local Development by providing similar support to cities in areas related to municipal law. The center provided research services, training, and technical support, published a newsletter, and built what may be the largest collection of ordinances in Kentucky. These services continue to this day.

In July 1997, the center was reorganized as the Chase Local Government Law Center with an expanded mission. The change in the center’s name reflected an extension of the center’s services beyond cities to all forms of local government and integration into the College of Law through the addition of a clinical education component for law students and a commitment to the teaching, study, and development of local government law.

The center is also an important part of Northern Kentucky University’s commitment to outreach and public engagement. Through its programs and services, the center advances the university’s goals to assist and support local government and community decision-making through the application of academic expertise and to address the critical and sometimes controversial issues facing our community.

The center is here to serve students, practitioners, public officials, and citizens with an interest in state and local government. We look forward to hearing from you.

Phillip M. Sparkes