2026 Arizona State University School of Law, Community Associations Institute, and College of Community Association Lawyers 2026 HOA/Condo Legal Symposium

Monday, April 20, 4:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Exploring Legal Career Opportunities in Community Association Law

Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, in partnership with Community Associations Institute and CAI’s College of Community Association Lawyers, proudly presents an HOA/condo legal symposium designed to introduce law students to the dynamic and growing field of community association law.

This symposium will feature three expert panels showcasing the breadth, impact, and career potential of representing community associations that include homeowners associations, condominium associations, and planned communities. With 77.1 million Americans living in approximately 370,000 community associations nationwide, this practice area offers exceptional opportunities for general counsel, litigation, real estate and transactional, regulatory and compliance, mediation and alternative dispute resolution, and leadership and practice management opportunities.

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Why Community Association Law?

Community association law sits at the intersection of real estate, litigation, governance, construction, and public policy. Attorneys in this field serve as trusted advisors, problem-solvers, and leaders within their community associations. They often gain meaningful responsibility earlier than in many traditional legal paths. Join us for three interactive panels to learn more about this exciting legal career opportunity:

  • Panel #1: The Teaching and Development of Homeowner Association Lawyers and other Professionals. As legal analysis and document drafting become increasingly automated, lawyers will be valued for exercising judgment, developing strategy, and counseling clients, work that requires understanding not only what the law says, but what it means for a particular client in a particular context and the ability to translate law into decision-making and action. The challenge is how to train lawyers to develop judgment and nuance without the apprenticeship-based model based on learning from a senior lawyer.  Community association law is hard to teach, whether in a law school or a law firm, without careful observation over time of more senior attorneys doing the work. This program explores the central challenge of developing new and better ways to communicate the experience and expertise required to be a successful community association lawyer to serve the needs of tomorrow’s clients.

    The panel participants are Brian Edlin, Augustus Shaw, and Robert M. Diamond.

  • Panel #2: Emerging Trends and Opportunities in the Community Association Industry. The community association industry continues to grow, evolve and thrive to meet the opportunities presented by housing market demands, residents, and a rapidly developing legislative and regulatory landscape.  In turn, the demand for skilled, competent and knowledgeable community association legal counsel to serve the community association housing model that will soon serve more than 80 million Americans presents unique and readily available opportunities for new lawyers. Join a panel of industry veterans as they explore the lifecycle of community association law, from development and transition to governance and dispute prevention, while sharing how many attorneys move from accidental entry into the field to intentional, purpose-driven careers. Attendees will gain insight into emerging trends, career opportunities, and the growing role attorneys play in supporting thriving communities.

    The panel participants are Brian Butler, president, FirstService Residential, John Krueger, vice president, government affairs, Associa, Melissa Ramsey, immediate past CAI president, and Matt Ober, 2026 CAI Board of Trustees president.

  • Panel #3: Legal Luminaries Discuss the Past, Present, and Future of Homeowner Association Law. Learn from luminaries the surprising evolution of community association law – from its humble origins in the 1950s to its national expansion and increasing complexity. The panel will highlight colorful real-world cases, the growing influence of AI, and how community associations shape the lives of more than a third of Americans. This field is ever-evolving, people-focused, and full of opportunities for future legal professionals. Come join us to be part of the future, while learning from the past.

    The panel participants are Laurie Poole, Amy Tinetti, David Graf, and Daniel J. Miske.

Important details for the event:

Esteemed Panelists

  • Amy Tinetti, Esq., CCAL fellow

    Amy Tinetti, Esq., CCAL fellow, is a graduate of Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, and received her bachelor's degree in communication from the University of California, San Diego. Tinetti has exclusively represented community associations for over 20 years. She is actively involved with CAI as a member of the CCAL Board of Governors and is the 2026 CCAL Board of Governors’ president-elect. She also is the Bay Area and Central California Chapter’s delegate to the California Legislative Action Committee.

  • Augustus H. Shaw IV, Esq., CCAL fellow

    Augustus H. Shaw IV, Esq., CCAL fellow, is the founding member of Shaw & Lines. For over 24 years, Shaw has advised community associations, nonprofit corporations, real estate developers, and general businesses. Shaw also serves as a faculty associate at the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, where he teaches the course Homeowner and Community Association Law. Shaw is a CCAL fellow and serves as president of CCAL’s Board of Governors. He also is a past board member and past vice president of CAI’s Central Arizona Chapter. Shaw has been a speaker at CCAL law seminars and CAI national conferences, as well as at local seminars for the state bar of Arizona and the city of Scottsdale, Ariz., Neighborhood Academy. Shaw received his bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona in 1996 and his juris doctor from the University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law in 2000. He is licensed to practice law before the state supreme courts in Arizona and Nebraska, U.S. District Courts of Arizona and Nebraska, and the U.S. Tax Court.

  • Brian Butler, Esq., CMCA, AMS, PCAM,

    Brian Butler, Esq., CMCA, AMS, PCAM, serves as president of FirstService Residential, the largest professional community association management firm in both Illinois and throughout North America. Butler oversees a dynamic team of vice presidents, operational leaders, regional directors, and community managers, serving hundreds of high-rise and HOA communities in the Chicagoland area. Butler is an award-winning leader who currently sits on the CAI Board of Trustees and recently completed his term as chair of CAI’s Community Association Managers Council. In addition to holding the highest industry designation of Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM®), Butler also is a licensed attorney in Illinois.

  • Brian Edlin, Esq., CCAL fellow,

    Brian Edlin, Esq., CCAL fellow, is managing partner of the law firm of Jordan Price Wall Gray Jones & Carlton in Raleigh, N.C.  Edlin is the author of the North Carolina bar association’s 2013, 2019 and 2025 editions of Common Interest Communities in North Carolina, a legal treatise on planned communities, condominiums, townhomes, and other forms of common interest communities. He is a fellow in the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and a CCAL fellow. Edlin is an adjunct professor at Campbell University School of Law and Texas A&M University School of Law.

  • Daniel J. Miske, Esq., CCAL fellow

    Daniel J. Miske, Esq., CCAL fellow, is a partner in the Milwaukee office of Kaman & Cusimano. He is one of only two Wisconsin attorneys admitted to CCAL. He has served on CCAL’s board of governors for the past five years and is a past president of CCAL. He also served many years on the board of directors of CAI’s Wisconsin Chapter and is a past president and treasurer of the Wisconsin Chapter. Miske represents condominium associations and homeowners associations throughout Wisconsin and is the president of his condominium association. His vast experience allows him to present options and see issues others may miss, in part because of his service on the CAI Wisconsin Legal Action Committee, which reviews current laws and comments on any proposed amendments.

  • David Graf, Esq., CCAL fellow

    David Graf, Esq., CCAL fellow, has practiced law for 30 years. He is a fellow in and a past president of CCAL. In 2015, he was honored as Educator of the Year by CAI.

  • John Krueger, vice president, government affairs, Associa

    John Krueger, vice president, government affairs, Associa, has led Associa’s government affairs advocacy efforts across the U.S. for more than 11 years. His professional career spans more than 35 years serving in leadership roles in government and public affairs working on Capitol Hill, in the Texas Legislature, and as a contract consultant and lobbyist for corporate and nonprofit entities. John currently chairs CAI’s Government and Public Affairs Committee and serves on CAI’s Federal Legislative Action Committee and multiple state legislative action committees.

  • Laurie S. Poole, Esq., CCAL fellow

    Laurie S. Poole, Esq., CCAL fellow, Laurie S. Poole obtained her juris doctorate from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1990. For over 32 years, Poole has represented California common interest developments in numerous aspects, including interpreting, amending, and enforcing governing documents, advising boards on compliance matters, addressing insurance issues, negotiating and drafting contracts, and dispute resolution. She is a CCAL fellow and served as CCAL president in 2022. She is a past president of CAI’s San Diego Chapter, a frequent speaker at industry events, and has published numerous articles on common interest development law.

  • Matt D. Ober, Esq., CCAL fellow

    Matt D. Ober, Esq., CCAL fellow, is a partner at Richardson | Ober in Southern California. His practice is dedicated to the exclusive representation of community associations throughout the state. Ober has served as counsel to community associations for over three decades and has made significant contributions to the community association industry through both CAI and the California Association of Community Managers as an educator, author, chapter leader, and active participant.  A CCAL past president, Ober is currently a member of CAI’s Board of Trustees and serves as CAI’s president in 2026. He also served on CAI’s Government and Public Affairs Committee, CAI’s Business Partners Council, and is a member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force. He has earned the Martindale-Hubbell “AV” peer review rating, signifying the highest rating in legal ability and ethical standards and was selected to Super Lawyers for years 2020 through 2026.

  • Melissa Ramsey, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM

    Melissa Ramsey, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM, began her career in private club management before transitioning into community association management more than 20 years ago, where she developed a reputation for proactive leadership with a hospitality-focused approach. A dedicated volunteer with CAI, she served as 2025 president of the CAI Board of Trustees and has held numerous local and national leadership roles and presented at industry conferences across the country. She holds the CMCA, AMS, LSM, and PCAM designations and earned her degree in journalism and mass communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Melissa is a proud mom of two and a breast cancer warrior, using her experiences to champion wellness and resilience in both life and leadership.

  • Robert Diamond, Esq., CCAL fellow

    Robert Diamond, Esq., CCAL fellow, has practiced real property law in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia for over 50 years, with special emphasis on preparing documents for condominiums, planned communities and mixed-use projects for developers, negotiating warranty and construction defect claims, representing community associations, and litigating association-related issues in state and federal courts. A drafter of the Uniform Condominium Act, he applies creativity and innovation in structuring real estate developments. He attended Vassar College, graduated from Colgate University, and obtained his law degree from Columbia University. Diamond has been a dedicated volunteer for CAI, serving as president of the national organization and the Washington Metropolitan Chapter. A charter member of CCAL, he also served on its board of governors. Diamond has authored several articles and taught numerous seminars in the field.