Unpaid assessments, association foreclosure procedures, developer warranties and the alleged unlicensed practice of law were among the legal issues that inspired Community Associations Institute (CAI) to support amicus curiae (friend-of-the-court) briefs in 2013.

The briefs are submitted by CAI in response to federal or state cases that address important issues of community association law. They allow CAI to educate a court and shape legal outcomes that can affect how communities operate as well as how they are governed and managed. Each brief is authored and approved by CAI member attorneys, with the expertise, knowledge and professionalism inherent in the CAI name adding weight to the legal arguments.

Summaries of the 2013 amicus cases can be accessed on the CAI website.

CAI’s Amicus Curiae Review Committee evaluates each request for an amicus brief and recommends to the Board of Trustees whether a submission is warranted.

"Our amicus program gives community associations a strong and respected voice in court cases that are deemed critical to the well-being of common-interest communities," says Stephen Marcus, chair of CAI’s Amicus Curiae Review Committee and a partner with Marcus, Errico, Emmer & Brooks in Braintree, Mass. "Courts can have a profound impact on virtually any aspect of association operations, from assessment collection to rules enforcement. Our goal is to provide courts with credible and practical legal perspective so they reach sound decisions."

Marcus and many members of the amicus review teams have been admitted to CAI’s College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL), a distinguished group of highly experienced lawyers with practices that specialize in community association law. CCAL goals include promoting high standards of professional and ethical responsibility, improving and advancing community association law and practice, and facilitating the development of educational materials and programming pertaining to legal issues.

"The credit for the amicus program goes to the men and women who provide their time and expertise," says CAI Chief Executive Officer Thomas Skiba, CAE. "The attorneys who write the briefs and the members of the committees who review the submissions are essential to this process. Without their knowledge and commitment, this important program could not exist."

Learn more about filing an amicus brief submission request. Write government@caionline.org with questions.

With more than 32,500 members dedicated to building better communities, CAI works in partnership with 60 chapters, including a chapter in South Africa. CAI provides information, education and resources to community associations and the professionals who support them. CAI’s mission is to inspire professionalism, effective leadership and responsible citizenship—ideals reflected in communities that are preferred places to call home. Visit www.caionline.org or call (888) 224-4321.