About the Author

About the Author

Julie Tappendorf is an attorney in the Chicago office of Ancel Glink, P.C. Julie advises local government clients on FOIA, Open Meetings, ethics, social media, and many other issues. 

Julie has published on a variety of land use and government issues, including a book on social media and governments, land use casebook, a book on development agreements, and numerous chapters and articles on architectural design, annexation and subdivisions, social media, and regulating distressed properties. She is a frequent speaker at local and national conferences on social media, sunshine laws, ethics, zoning procedures, and various land use issues. She authored the book "Social Media and Local Governments" (ABA, 2d ed. 2026), co-authored the book "Development by Agreement: A Toolbook for Land Developers and Local Governments (ABA, 2d ed. 2024), among other books. She also co-authored the two-volume treatise "Handling the Land Use Case," which is updated on an annual basis.

Particular highlights of her recent practice include:

• Successfully defended a municipality in a lawsuit challenging a zoning approval of a mixed-use development, which case was affirmed by the Illinois Supreme Court.
• Successfully defended a municipality in an action by property owners challenging the annexation of certain property, affirmed by the Illinois Appellate Court.
• Negotiated a settlement of a complex breach of contract case to enforce a development agreement involving a mixed-use downtown development.
• Completed numerous comprehensive rewrites of zoning, subdivision, sign, and other development regulations.
• Advising communities on day-to-day legal issues relating to ethics, meeting procedures, and local records laws, including preparation of administrative policies relating to FOIA, personnel, and zoning hearings.
• Conducted numerous trainings of government officials and employees on legal issues with social media use, how to respond to a First Amendment audit, among many other legal topics.

Julie is a member of the American Bar Association and the American Planning Association (Amicus Committee and Planning and Law Division). She is admitted to practice in the Illinois state courts, Northern District of Illinois, and the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Seventh and Ninth Circuits.

 

Prior to her law career, Julie served for eight years (active and reserves) in the United States Army, Military Intelligence Branch, as a Korean cryptologic-linguist.

Visit Ancel Glink's website at http://ancelglink.com.

Blog comments do not reflect the views or opinions of the Author or Ancel Glink.