Student Co-Writes Land Use Book
Georgia State University College of Law's Urban Fellow Jill Skinner (J.D./M.C.R.P. '14) can now count a published book among her accomplishments. Through her research assistant position at Weissman, Nowack, Curry & Wilco she co-wrote Zoning and Land Use Law in Georgia along with Seth G. Weissman and G. Douglas Dillard.
The book was published by the Council for Quality Growth this month.
Zoning and Land Use Law in Georgia lays the foundation for practitioners to make better land-use decisions. It is written for planners, developers, government officials and lawyers to help ensure land-use ordinances, laws and regulations are written clearly and thoroughly enough to pass judicial muster if challenged in the courts.
"My favorite part of writing this book was seeing how our laws have changed over time to adapt to new challenges such as rapid urbanization and explosive population growth," Skinner says. "I also enjoyed researching the complicated relationship between local, state and federal governments in the areas of land use and zoning."
As a student in the joint J.D./Masters in City and Regional Planning program, Skinner has developed her unique skill set and deeper understanding of the issues land use lawyers face each day in practice.
"Through my education, work experience and writing this book, I have become very familiar with the land mines that exist in litigating a zoning case in Georgia," Skinner says. "These experiences will make me a stronger advocate for my clients and allow me to work with local governments to update outdated and rigid zoning laws to better reflect the changing needs of communities."