MEMPHIS LAW HOSTS 8TH ANNUAL CODE ENFORCEMENT ACADEMY

The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law will host the eight annual Strategic Code Enforcement Management Academy (SCEMA) on June 12-14, 2024.  The two-day SCEMA program focuses local teams of government managers, attorneys, and community partners on the core principles and practices of strategic code enforcement tailored to the priorities and challenges confronting each teams’ community.  Strategic code enforcement is a cross-agency, data driven approach that leverages multiple partnerships to ensure compliance and enforcement actions are effective, efficient and equitable.  Embedded in the state and local policy power to protect public health, safety and security, such an approach requires the cooperation and coordination of the local public and public interest institutions and agencies whose decisions and actions are guided by sharing data and knowledge.

This year, a record 11 cities will take part in the law school-hosted academy, with teams from the following cities participating in SCEMA 2024: Memphis, TN, St. Louis, MO, Dallas, TX, Rockford, IL, Syracuse, NY, Baltimore, MD, San Juan, PR, Chandler, AZ, Minneapolis, MN, Oklahoma City, OK, and Washington, D.C.  

SCEMA began as a collaboration of Memphis Law, Neighborhood Preservation, Inc., and The Urban Institute. Professor Daniel Schaffzin and Adjunct Professor Steve Barlow, who together direct Memphis Law’s Neighborhood Preservation Clinic, are founding SCEMA faculty and will again serve as faculty for this year’s Academy.

The Academy’s focus and methods distinguish this enterprise from others that offer instruction for code inspectors or that cover a single department of a municipality.

SCEMA's views on strategic code enforcement compliance enforcement involves: a focus on a strategic approach; a focus on coordination and collaboration at the community level; a focus on the use of IT tools and methods; and a focus on public policy and the law.

For more information about SCEMA, visit www.strategiccodeenforcement.com.