Posted 13 Jan 2022 in Case Notes Written by: Lisa Soronen

In National Federation of Independent Businesses v. Department of Labor the U.S. Supreme Court disallowed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) emergency rule from going into effect temporarily, which requires those who work for employers with 100 or more employees to be vaccinated. Such employers instead could require unvaccinated employees to be tested weekly for COVID-19 and wear a mask. In Biden v. Missouri the Court allowed to go into effect temporarily while litigation in the lower courts continues, an...

Posted 05 Jan 2022 in Business Written by: Caroline Storer

As of January 1, 2022 Amanda Karras will lead IMLA as Executive Director / General Counsel. Ms. Karras has worked at IMLA for 8 years with the previous positions of Deputy General Counsel and Director of Legal Advocacy. In the capacity of Executive Director and General Counsel, Ms. Karras will oversee IMLA’s governance and staff.  Ms. Karras will also continue to oversee IMLA’s legal advocacy efforts with the United States Supreme Court, Circuit Courts, and state appellate courts. Ms. Karras has...

Posted 17 Dec 2021 in Case Summaries (eNews) Written by: Erich Eiselt

Yesterday, District Court Judge Colleen McMahon vacated Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain’s confirmation of the Purdue Plan of Reorganization (In re Purdue Pharma L.P., no. 21-cv-07532 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 16, 2021)). As discussed in IMLA’s Opioid Group calls, under the Plan, the Sackler family members were to receive complete releases from all civil liability--even though they did not personally file for bankruptcy--in exchange for contributing $4.5 billion to be distributed to creditors via various “abatement trusts.” But eight states and the US Attorney...

Posted 08 Dec 2021 in Business Written by: Caroline Storer

IMLA confirms Barbara A. Adams as IMLA President from October 2021 - October 2022. IMLA’s members recently confirmed the nomination of Barbara A. Adams of the Illinois Local Government Lawyers Association to be President of IMLA. Ms. Adams is currently with the Chicago area law firm of Donahue & Rose, P.C. and received an IMLA President’s gavel from outgoing President Tyrone Cooper at IMLA’s recent annual business meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  In addition to serving as General Counsel to the Illinois...

Posted 25 Oct 2021 in Case Notes Written by: Amanda Karras

On October 18th, the Supreme Court granted qualified immunity to officers in two cases on a per curiam basis, summarily reversing lower courts in each: Rivas-Villas v. Cortesluna and City of Tahlequah v. Austin.  IMLA filed an amicus brief in the Rivas - Villegas v. Cortesluna case in support of the officers.  In both cases, the Supreme Court relied on video evidence and therefore undisputed facts.  And in both cases, the Court concluded the law was not clearly established given...

Posted 12 Oct 2021 in Business Written by: Caroline Storer

On September 29th and October 1st during our 86th Annual Conference in Minneapolis, MN, IMLA was able to announce and recognize our 2021 award winners. These award winners are MLA members who have gone above and beyond the field of municipal law and were nominated by their colleagues to receive these awards.   The Charles S. Rhyne Lifetime Achievement In Municipal Law Award The Lifetime Achievement in Municipal Law Award is the highest award given by IMLA. The award honors the recipient’s lifetime...

Posted 01 Oct 2021 in Commentary Written by: Deanna Shahnami

For more than 30 years, from September 15- October 15, the United States has recognized and celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month.  This month-long recognition is meant to celebrate the contributions and achievements of members in Hispanic and Latin(o/x) communities.  IMLA and its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Group are committed to providing our members resources that highlight DEI issues affecting Hispanic and Latin(o/x) attorneys and the communities they represent. Attorneys with Spanish-speaking roots have slowly made their mark on U.S. legal history...

Posted 16 Sep 2021 in Commentary Written by: Francisco Javier Durán García

As discussed in a prior article, Spain is divided into 17 “autonomous communities” which comprise 50 provinces. Within these provinces, there are more than 8,000 municipalities, which are the basic territorial division in Spain. Municipalities have legal personality and their own territory, population, and organization. Municipalities are also sometimes referred to as “Town Halls”, given that the current structure dates back to the nineteenth century. Although municipalities are a common political subdivision in the whole country, they are not the...

Posted 10 Sep 2021 in Commentary Written by: Tyler F. Wallach

“We the People”.  These three simple words embody the very idea of self-governance and establish the foundation for a political structure of government that Abraham Lincoln once described as “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”  In form and substance, they represent a government that emanates from the people, whose powers are granted by them, and are to be exercised for their benefit.  That government belongs to “We the People” of the United States of America (“U.S.”),...

Posted 29 Jul 2021 in Business Written by: IMLA Staff

IMLA is pleased to announce that Executive Director and General Counsel Chuck Thompson is the recipient of the American Bar Association’s 2021 Jefferson Fordham Award for Lifetime Achievement  – the Daniel J. Curtin Award.  As most of you know, Chuck has led IMLA since late 2006, navigating our organization through economic challenges and helping us to become a more responsive and diverse organization. The ABA Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes Chuck’s contributions to the practice of local government law over more than...