Communicating with government agencies: Session at Western conference details ethical considerations

FAYETTEVILLE — Effective communication with government agencies is crucial for agricultural stakeholders — but those interactions come with ethical obligations.
A session at the 3rd Annual Western Water, Agricultural, and Environmental Law Conference will dive into those responsibilities. Lawson Fite, a shareholder at Schwabe, Williamson and Wyatt, P.C., will lead the session, which is one of two ethics sessions at the conference.
The Western conference, hosted by the National Agricultural Law Center and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Foundation, or NASDA Foundation, will be held on June 19-20 in Reno, Nevada, at the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino. It also features a livestream option.
“The Western conference is designed to provide attorneys, students, agricultural producers, and professionals with insight into key legal and policy issues affecting agriculture in the Western United States,” said NALC Director Harrison Pittman. “Lawson brings both legal expertise and practical experience when it comes to navigating agency interaction.”
Fite represents clients in a range of environmental and natural resources issues, including litigation and regulatory matters under the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Environmental Policy Act. He previously served as general counsel at the American Forest Resource Council.

“In our field, communicating with government regulators is common,” Fite said. “There are important boundaries to maintain — both in what we say and how we say it. This session will explore those obligations and help practitioners identify and address potential ethical pitfalls.”
In his session, Fite will discuss how to clarify who is being represented in agency communications, understand the nature of government representations, rights to petition, and professional duties owed to non-governmental clients.
The conference features continuing legal education credit, as well as continuing education from the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. Information and registration is available online at nationalaglawcenter.org/western2025.
“A key aspect of agriculture in the West — and beyond — is learning to communicate effectively with government agencies,” Pittman said. “Attendees will walk away from this session with a better understanding of their ethical responsibilities and how to apply those principles in real-world situations.”