IMLA

Disaster Webinar
2021-07-20 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
COVID-19 Litigation: Public Health Orders, Enforcement Challenges and Related First Amendment Challenges
Cities, counties, and health officials across the country are facing a rapidly escalating number of lawsuits that challenge public health orders, enforcement issues and First Amendment challenges related to COVID-19. In this webinar, Deborah Fox, Chair of Meyers Nave’s Trial and Litigation Practice and First Amendment Practice, will explain the legal issues that are involved in these litigations, including complex constitutional questions regarding local and state governmental powers during public health and safety emergencies intertwined with alleged violations of various rights under the U.S. Constitution, ranging from First Amendment freedoms of expression, religion and assembly to civil rights claims for alleged violations of the due process and equal protection clauses to economic claims under the takings and commerce clauses.
Speaker: Deborah Fox & Margaret (Meg) Rosequist

Securities Webinar
2021-07-22 13:00 - 14:00
The Municipality as Shareholder: Securities Litigation in the Age of Fiscal and Social Responsibility
Securities litigation is often viewed as benefiting individual shareholders who have been harmed due to misstatements, omissions, negligence, or intentional acts of public companies. But the reality is that millions of others participate in the capital markets as employees of municipalities and local government subdivisions—counties, cities, townships, school districts, fire and police departments and more—who act on behalf of these workers as shareholders in publicly traded entities through pension plans, risk management pools and similar vehicles. This presentation will discuss how these entities can add and have added their influence to obtain recourse for corporate wrongdoing and to effect socially responsible change in corporate policies in areas ranging from gender and race discrimination, systemic racial and gender inequality, Covid, the opioid epidemic, environmental wrongdoing, money laundering and more.
Speaker: Joshua H. Grabar & Seth D. Rigrodsky

First Amendment Webinar
2021-07-27 13:00 - 14:00
Dos and Don’ts For Advertising On Buses And Other Municipal Owned Property
This webinar will examine First Amendment jurisprudence as it applies to advertising on buses and other municipally owned property including bus stops, street furniture, subways, and airports. The webinar will provide practical pointers for drafting constitutionally sound regulations for advertising on such municipally owned property. While the First Amendment usually requires that non-commercial speech be treated more favorably than commercial speech, the reverse is often true when looking at regulations for advertising on buses and other municipally owned property. Forum analysis plays a critical role in determining what restrictions will pass muster as does the consistency with which policies are followed and enforced. These issues along with applicable case law will be highlighted during the webinar.
Speaker: Margaret (Meg) Rosequist

Personnel Webinar
2021-07-29 13:00 - 14:00
What Labor & Employment Attorneys Should Understand About Human Resources!
Depending on the local government, the Human Resources Department may entail a variety of areas that need sound and practical advice from a Labor & Employment Attorney and knowing how to handle when the advice is not followed. In local government, Human Resources has to perform a balancing act – balancing what the City Manager/Mayor wants for the organization and being fair to the employees. There are other parties such as the elected officials (politicians) and the unions which bring another wrinkle on how Human Resources manages any situation. Remember HR is seen as both the good and the bad…hires and fires….and much more.
Speaker: Elsa I. Jaramillo-Velez & Roberta “Robin” Cross

Bankruptcy Webinar
2021-08-10 13:00 - 14:30
Bankruptcy: Help Us Put the Pieces Together
Bankruptcy cases can have implications for a City beyond the collection of revenue. When that happens, the attorneys in the City of Philadelphia Law Department’s Bankruptcy Unit rely heavily on the expertise of other members of the Law Department to issue spot, educate, marshal documents and more. Achieving this type of symbiosis at the very outset of a bankruptcy proceeding is critical. The presentation will provide a brief overview of bankruptcy basics, review samples of communications from the court or the debtors to be on the look-out for and include an informal discussion surrounding how to gear up quickly to achieve the best level of representation in these often fast-moving matters.
Speaker: Pamela Thurmond, Megan Harper, & Joshua Domer

Public Records Webinar
2021-08-24 13:00 - 14:00
Public Records Responses: Then and Now
Hilary Ruley has worked in Baltimore’s Public Records Response process for over 15 years. In this presentation, Hilary will discuss key and current legal cases on body cameras. This presentation will also discuss video redaction and some of the practical challenges of being an attorney involved in the public records process.
Speaker: Hilary Ruley & Jen Snyder

Construction Webinar
2021-10-19 13:00 - 14:00
Back to Basics: Guide to Resolving Construction Claims
The construction industry has faced many unique challenges since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. As the industry adjusts to the new “normal” way of working, it is important for construction project participants to maintain their focus on the basic techniques that are effective in managing construction risks inherent to every construction project. This session will bring participants “back to basics” and provide guidelines to apply for the mitigation and resolution of construction claims that often manifest into cumbersome litigation.
Speaker: Christi Fu & Brenda Radmacher

Preemption Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2021-10-26 13:00 - 14:00
Preempting to Thwart Racial Justice
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
This session builds on our spring webinar documenting the 2021 legislative session as a session like no other. To recap, state legislatures continued to target local authority, but the disturbing trend that this webinar will focus on was the use of preemption to prevent or limit local jurisdictions from taking steps to pursue racial justice initiatives. In direct reaction to the racial justice conversations of summer 2020, states passed laws that force higher penalties for protesters, prevent cities from reducing their law enforcement budgets, and ban the teaching of critical race theory. This legislative session marked an escalation of preemption to engage in racially targeted culture wars.
Speaker: Kim Haddow, Rick Su & Marissa Roy

Affirmative Litigation Webinar
2021-11-18 13:00 - 14:00
Affirmative Litigation – The Municipality as Plaintiff
This presentation is a review of various major affirmative litigation activities by local governments, including false claims, video services, e-cigarettes, PFAS, climate change, and opioids. This presentation will also discuss causes of action, defenses, and case trajectories.
Speaker: Erich Eiselt, Sara Gross & Michael Bologna

Animal Law Webinar
2021-12-01 13:00 - 14:00
Herding Cats- Augmenting Animal Services in a Post-COVID World
95% of Americans now view pets as members of their family and animal services is evolving to reflect new community values and expectations, similar to the evolving role of policing. Best Friends staff with expertise in these issues will discuss empowering animal field services officers to be more responsive and efficient in the field, effective policies concerning dangerous dogs and reckless owners, community engagement of volunteers and legal frameworks to reduce the risk of liability.
Speaker: Ledy VanKavage, Scott Giacoppo, Tammy Jo Hallman & Rebecca Huss

Ethics Webinar
2021-12-07 13:00 - 14:00
Ethics: the Local Government Attorney’s Role as a Competent Advisor
One of the primary functions and a day-to-day responsibility of a local government attorney is providing advice. All attorneys advise clients, but the advice a local government attorney gives the local government governing body, boards, commissions, and staff affects an entire community and in a broader sense, our society. This presentation examines the interplay of ABA Model Ethics Rules 1.1 (Attorney Competence) and 2.1 (Attorney’s Role as Advisor) and how those rules affect local government attorneys regular professional life when advising governing bodies and staff, including the need to: (1) Be straightforward; (2) present other considerations beyond strictly technical legal advice; and (3) consider the timing and process of offering advice.
Speaker: Judge Rodney D. Adams, Cathy Cunningham & Roger Horner

Preemption Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2021-12-09 13:00 - 14:00
Equitable Housing Preemption
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
This session examines state preemption of local authority to protect tenants, particularly during COVID, and expand affordable housing . Many state legislatures, in both “red” and “blue” states, preempt local governments from increasing housing supply, crafting inclusionary zoning, or implementing rent regulations to alleviate housing unaffordability. This dynamic has particularly come to a head during the COVID-19 pandemic as local governments have sought to impose eviction moratoriums and extend other support to burdened renters. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the need for local government leadership on equitable housing policies, and even where state preemption exists, local governments may still be able advance housing equity through collaboration with the federal government through the American Rescue Plan.
Speaker: Nestor Davidson, Sarah Beth Gehl, Lauren A. Lowery & Ben Winig

Telecommunications Webinar
2022-01-06 13:00 - 14:30
Key Legal Issues: From Preliminary Assessment Through Detailed Project Planning
In this two-part presentation, lawyers from Keller and Heckman LLP will address the critical legal and regulatory issues that public broadband initiatives and partnerships typically encounter at each stage of a project from initial opportunity assessment to ongoing operation and regulatory compliance. They will focus on authority issues; federal and state funding opportunities; infrastructure challenges (rights-of-way, easements, franchises, pole attachments, wireless matters, etc.); and access to customers, content, and services. This presentation will also discuss telephony issues (including 911); organizational and governance issues; and partnerships. Part 2 is scheduled for February 8, 2022.
Speaker: Jim Baller, Sean Stokes, Casey Lide, Tracy Marshall & Wes Wright

Diversity Webinar
2022-01-11 13:00 - 14:00
How Denver Does It: The Creation of an Equity Program and Issues Faced
Kwali Farbes and Deanne Durfee from the Denver City Attorney’s Office will speak about the Denver City Attorney’s Office’s program on equity. The presentation will discuss how the program was created and curriculum used for the program. The presentation will also discuss practical issues, including legal issues, that come with implementing such a program in a law office.
Speaker: Kwali Farbes and Deanne Durfee

Law Practice Management Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members & Free Live for Thomson Reuters Members*
2022-01-13 13:00 - 14:00
Office Management Solutions – Government Insights
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
*Free live for Thomson Reuters Members with Registration Code.
This session will give you deeper knowledge into what City and County Agencies are doing right now for office management solutions. The discussion will tackle what challenges they are trying to solve for and what they are investing in for people and technology solutions. Specifically, addressing matter management, document automation and public records requests.
Speaker: Kay Engler, Gordon Kwan & Andy Heglund

Diversity Webinar
2022-01-25 13:00 - 14:00
Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion (DEI) In the Workplace: Creating Impactful and Sustainable DEI Programs in Law Firms
The presentation will largely be geared towards programming for law firms. The topic of DEI in law firms has been discussed at some level for many years. But just encouraging awareness and discussion is not enough. The presentation will provide tips and strategies for attorneys, including those representing local governments, to successfully implement sustainable DEI Programs in law firms. The presentation will also discuss the current trends in diverse hiring and recruitment and the benefits of prioritizing DEI programming.
Speaker: Chanae Wood

Code Enforcement Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2022-01-28 13:00 - 14:00
An Assist from the Bench: Addressing Problem Properties with Dedicated Code Enforcement Courts
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
Litigation frequently serves as the legal backstop when code enforcement agencies have exhausted other avenues to gain compliance or when properties pose special challenges or imminent threats to public health and safety. While they can appear straightforward, today’s code cases involve complex legal issues related to ownership and title, interpretation of state laws and local ordinances, and the innovative use of civil and criminal remedies. Compounding the challenge, municipal attorneys often bring cases in courts that lack both expertise in the legal and policy nuances that drive code enforcement and familiarity with the community context that surround problem properties. In a handful of cities across the country, however, code enforcement cases are assigned to a dedicated court or court division with the jurisdiction and experience necessary to adjudicate the myriad of violations and issues at play.
This webinar will discuss a range of legal and procedural topics impacting municipal attorneys and prosecutors that handle code cases, including considerations for the effective presentation and resolution of code enforcement cases. This webinar will also compare and contrast two of these specialized judicial models: the Shelby County (TN) Environmental Court and the Cleveland Heights Municipal Court. In a conversation with faculty from the Strategic Code Enforcement Management Academy (SCEMA), Shelby County Environmental Court Judge Patrick Dandridge and Cleveland Height Municipal Court Judge JJ Costello will address the opportunities and challenges that come with having a devoted court hear, decide, and manage code enforcement cases.
Speaker: Judge J.J. Costello, Judge Patrick Dandridge, Daniel M. Schaffzin & Joe Schilling

General Webinar
2022-02-01 13:00 - 14:00
Legal Writing 101
Get valuable tips on writing — everything from an email to an appellate brief. Much of daily communication is the written word, and this seminar will teach you everything you need to know to make your communication clear and powerful.
Speaker: Blithe Bock

Telecommunications Webinar
2022-02-08 13:00 - 14:30
Key Legal Issues: From Plan Implementation Through Ongoing Operation and Regulatory Compliance
This presentation is the second of a two-part presentation. Lawyers from Keller and Heckman LLP will address the critical legal and regulatory issues that public broadband initiatives and partnerships typically encounter at each stage of a project from initial opportunity assessment to ongoing operation and regulatory compliance. It will focus on negotiation and implementation of project plans; startup activities; contract matters of many kinds; and federal and state regulatory compliance. This presentation will also discuss privacy and cybersecurity; and developments to watch. Part 1 is scheduled for January 6, 2022.
Speaker: Jim Baller, Sean Stokes, Casey Lide, Wes Wright & Tracy Marshall

Finance Webinar
2022-02-10 13:00 - 14:00
Fundamentals of Municipal Finance and Borrowing
Municipal attorneys are often asked, “Can we do this?”, when “this” relates to getting, spending, and borrowing money by their municipal clients. This session will consider the essential legal issues attendant to that question. We will discuss basic constitutional issues like public purpose, corporate purpose, and lending of the public credit; the theoretical distinction between taxes and fees; the legal ramifications of that distinction; and other limitations on the ways that municipalities can get and spend money. We will also briefly consider the role and types of municipal borrowing. Because the laws vary widely from state to state, the session will focus on issue spotting and general questions that the municipal attorney should consider when asked financial questions.
Speaker: Eric Shytle

Personnel Webinar
2022-02-17 13:00 - 14:00
The Americans with Disabilities Act Update: The Impact of COVID-19
In this webinar, Jonathan Mook will present an overview of significant ADA developments that occurred in 2021, particularly as they concern the COVID-19 pandemic. Issues such as whether COVID-19 (and, in particular, long COVID) is a “disability,” the applicability of the ADA’s direct threat defense to COVID-19, incentives an employer may offer employees to get a COVID-19 shot, and whether vaccination status and COVID-19 test results are protected medical information will be discussed. Jonathan also will offer a preview of emerging ADA issues that municipalities can expect to face in 2022, including assessing medical and religious exemptions to mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirements and the expansion of telework as a reasonable accommodation.
Speaker: Jonathan Mook & Robin Cross

Preemption Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2022-03-03 13:00 - 14:00
Preemption of Local Election Administration
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
This session examines state preemption of local authority to administer elections on the impact that is having in key battleground states. Following the thoroughly discredited claims of election fraud in the 2020 election, several states have implemented policies to take authority away from local election boards, restrict ballot access, redraw district maps to favor candidates of a certain party, and potentially overturn local election results. All of these changes disempower voters, particularly from urban and marginalized communities. This session will discuss some of these trends at a national level and then engage with advocates on the ground in Texas and North Carolina to understand the real impact of this preemption.
Speaker: Richard Briffault, Deandrea Newsome, Luis Figueroa, and Marissa Roy

Construction Webinar
2022-03-08 13:00 - 14:00
Material Price Escalation: What This Means to Owners
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost of construction labor and material prices have been soaring at record-breaking levels. Construction markets remain competitive as contractors struggle to overcome the challenges of the current market conditions and owners attempt to deal with the added risks from the economic threats. This session will provide an overview of the current market trends, changes to expect in project delivery and contracting methods, and how owners can be prepared to proactively address these issues head-on. After attending this presentation, attendees should be able to: (1) Identify current trends in the industry concerning construction starts, sector performance, labor availability, and supply chain impacts; (2) recognize today’s current market conditions and how they may impact your project; and (3) evaluate the industry’s response and identify measures you can take to be prepared to proactively address current conditions.
Speakers: Brian Goodreau & Bryan Payne

Telecommunications Webinar
2022-03-10 13:00 - 14:30
Cell Tower Leasing and Sales
This program provides municipalities (and all property owners) with the basics of leasing land for a cell tower or space on a building (or other structure) for cell antennas. It describes 5G service, why it is being rolled out slowly and why it has little impact on cell lease rental rates or the sales price for cell leases. It is presented by two attorneys with decades of experience representing municipalities and other property owners on cell leases. The program starts by covering key business issues in cell site leases, including lease rates, who gets the revenues from additional antennas or carriers being co-located at a site, and the major rent increases possible at renewals. It then shifts to avoiding lease terms which can prevent a landlord’s use or development of the property with the lease, and adding lease terms which help preserve these rights. After covering some more conventional lease terms the program addresses the sale of cell leases and future leasing rights. This includes typical sale prices (currently around 19 times annual revenues); when to sell and when it is not advisable to sell; how to get the best price and terms in a sale; and again avoiding provisions that restrict the development or use of the property. On both cell leases and the sale of leases the program addresses key items that are unique to municipalities. More generally, the program covers such topics as lease term and terminations, access requirements, radio frequency interference, design and camouflage, and radio frequency emissions safety.
Speakers: John Pestle & Jonathan Kramer

SLLC Supreme Court Midterm Webinar
2022-03-17 13:00 - 14:15
This is not an IMLA Webinar and will not offer CLE credits.
Since this summer, the Supreme Court has agreed to decide, and has decided, numerous cases involving states and local governments ranging from blockbusters to (more) bread and butter. Topics of cases discussed in this webinar include abortion, First Amendment, state intervention, qualified immunity, the Clean Power Plan, and liability for not reciting Miranda. Join Michael Dreeben, O’Melveny, who is writing the State and Local Legal Center (SLLC) amicus brief in a First Amendment public employment case, Harker Rhodes, Kirkland and Ellis, who is writing the SLLC brief in the Miranda case, and Morgan Ratner, Sullivan & Cromwell, in a discussion of the state and local Supreme Court docket at midterm.
Speakers: Michael Dreeben, Morgan Ratner, C. Harker Rhodes, IV & Lisa Soronen

Negotiations Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2022-05-05 13:00 - 14:00
Negotiations 101
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
This presentation will outline the steps in preparing for a negotiation, discuss factors to consider in picking a strategy, and demonstrate both how to use and how to counter some of the most common negotiation tactics.
Speaker: DeWitt “Mac” McCarley

Construction Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2022-05-10 13:00 - 14:00
Secrets and Strategies to Successful Public Construction Projects
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
Successful projects – meeting quality, time, budget requirements – can happen if the public owner and the municipal attorney take the proper steps to prepare for design and construction. Without the necessary planning and strategy, public works construction may experience unwanted delays, claims and cost overruns. This session will discuss the underlying causes that threaten successful project outcomes. Specific recommendations (“secrets”) will be presented regarding critical issues during the design phase including designer selection and professional services agreement, the public owner’s project management approach, and key construction contract provisions. Since unexpected issues are common in construction, a corresponding claims management strategy that focuses on avoidance, mitigation and resolution of claims and disputes will be presented.
Speaker: Joe Seibold & Christopher J. Petrini

General Webinar
2022-05-19 13:00 - 14:00
Robocall Me Maybe? Examining Automated Calls by Cities in Light of the FCC’s Broadnet Order on Reconsideration
As local governments seek to streamline processes and efficiently utilize funds in continually decreasing budgets, some are turning to automated phone calls and text messages (“robocalls” and “robotexts”) as a cost‐effective option to communicate with citizens. This session discusses the applicable federal laws and regulations that govern automated calls, including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 as well as the associated FCC rules, orders, and rulings, with a focus on the FCC’s Broadnet Order on Reconsideration, released December 14, 2020, that formally applied these federal laws and regulations to local governments and their contractors. This session also discusses practical considerations and best practices for local governments when contacting citizens by automated calls and texts, including those related to telephone town halls, municipal court cases, water utility service, and COVID‐19 information.
Speakers: David Johnson

Police Webinar
2022-05-24 13:00 - 14:00
Creating a System of Police Oversight
The City of Austin has had some form of civilian police oversight for 20 years. This presentation will explore the legal issues the city has faced during that time, the changes in civilian oversight that have occurred, and different forms of oversight in other cities that have influenced the City of Austin’s approach. It will explore issues related to the confidentiality of police disciplinary records, anonymous civilian complaints, and labor relations with the Austin Police Association.
Speaker: Neal Falgoust

First Amendment Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2022-06-22 13:00 - 14:00
Regulating Signs & Billboards after Austin v. Reagan
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015) has led to another U.S. Supreme Court case, Austin v. Reagan, a First Amendment decision which may affect the ability of your community to regulate on-premises and off-premises signs (billboards). Depending on the outcome of the case, thousands of local jurisdictions could have their sign ordinances completely upended, and have to start over when it comes to treating on-premises signs differently than billboards. Even if the Court affirms the traditional on/off distinction, Austin could still elaborate upon the concept of content-neutrality in sign regulations and further clarify the Reed decision.
This webinar includes a panel of experts who will describe the latest Reed developments and how the Court’s ruling in Austin may – or may not – change best practices for city attorneys. Communities interested in ensuring that they have constitutionally-compliant sign ordinances will want to attend.
Speaker: Susan L. Trevarthen, Mark White & David Hickey
