IMLA

Construction Law Webinar
2026-05-13 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York)
Complex Construction Litigation – Recovering Owner’s Losses via Counterclaims, Crossclaims and Third-Party Practice
Too often public owners are saddled with change orders, delay claims, extra work and additional compensation claims by their project contractors. Just as often, legitimate delay and damage claims payable by the public owner are the responsibility of other consultants, professionals or parties under contract with the owner. Sadly, municipalities don’t always pursue claims they should that are necessary to offset their payments to the contractor.
This webinar will help municipal practitioners identify and evaluate potential counter, cross and third-party claims in complex construction litigation. Additionally, participants will see examples of critical pleading language, litigation tactics and discovery “must-haves” that make claims prosecution more effective. Effective mediation and joint-defense and common-interest tactics will be discussed and participants will learn the use of case valuation techniques to value multi-party litigation. Finally, our trademark “traps for the unwary” will round out the presentation.
Speaker: Steven “Tip” Torres

Animal Law/Land Use Webinar
2026-05-19 13:00 - 14:00
Pet-Inclusive Ordinances & Policies That Keep pets With Their People and Save Tax Dollars
Housing is one of the main reasons why pets are relinquished to animal shelters. Pet restrictions, pet-related fees, and skyrocketing pet rent can also contribute to the unhoused, since most American view pets as family members and refuse to give them up. Housing pets in municipal animal shelters is extremely costly and sometimes tragic. Learn how cities and states are enacting ordinances, laws, and policies to increase pet-inclusive housing that also has financial benefit can prove lucrative for housing providers.
Speaker: Ledy VanKavage & Ross Barker

Employment Law/ Technology Webinar
2026-05-21 13:00 - 14:00
Risks of AI use in Employment: Framework and Regulatory Landscape
Risks of AI use in Employment: Framework and Regulatory Landscape examines the reasons for and results of increased scrutiny over the use of AI in employment decisions. The potential for bias in the algorithms underlying artificial intelligence tools can introduce these biases to the hiring process in a manner that may violate anti-discrimination laws. As formal federal guidance shifts, this webinar will cover areas where risk exists for employers and case law which has analyzed these areas. This will include litigation under Title VII, ADEA, and the ADA. This webinar will also cover state-specific regulations which have covered this area, as well as the transition in federal guidance. Participants will gain strategies for identifying and addressing these risks and preserving employee and potential employee rights.
Speaker: Jenna Throw

Land Use/Inclusive Zoning Webinar – Free Live For IMLA Members
2026-06-02 13:00 - 14:00
Inclusionary Zoning: Designing Defensible Affordable Housing Policies
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
Inclusionary zoning has become a central tool for local governments seeking to address housing affordability. But it also sits at the intersection of land use authority, constitutional constraints, and state preemption. This webinar will provide municipal and county attorneys with a practical overview of how inclusionary zoning programs are structured, implemented, and challenged.
The program will begin with a primer on the legal foundations of inclusionary zoning, including the scope of local authority under state enabling statutes and home rule provisions with a case study on the approach taken by Lakewood, Colorado.
The webinar will also explore key litigation risks, including takings claims, unlawful exactions under Nollan v. California Coastal Commission and Dolan v. City of Tigard, and more recent developments in exactions jurisprudence following Sheetz v. County of El Dorado. Presenters will discuss how courts are analyzing these claims and what local governments can do to build defensible programs.
Topics to Be Covered By Presenters:
Kirsten Crawford

Housing affordability context and the role of inclusionary zoning
Will cover Colorado Program structures and implementation approaches and a few other jurisdiction examples
Preemption policies and inclusionary zoning

Lauren Stanek

Case study: Lakewood, Colorado
Primer on legal foundations of inclusionary zoning Key exactions cases: Nollan and Dolan; recent developments following Sheetz v. County of El Dorado; linkage and impact fees

Reggie Nubine

Litigation risks: takings claims and unlawful exactions
How courts are analyzing challenges and strategies to build defensible programs

Speakers: Kirsten Crawford, Lauren Stanek & Reggie Nubine

Home Rule/Dillon's Rule Webinar
2026-06-04 13:00 - 14:00
The Limits of Local Power: Navigating Home Rule and Dillon’s Rule
This session will explain the core principles of Home Rule and Dillon’s Rule, how they operate in practice, and how courts evaluate whether a municipality has the power to regulate in a given area. In addition to reviewing the doctrinal framework, the session will highlight recent legislative and judicial developments that have tested or reshaped these concepts, offering practical guidance for attorneys navigating an evolving landscape of local authority.
Speaker: Rob Bovett

Homelessness Webinar
2026-06-09 13:00 - 14:30
Standing Ground: Housing First Amidst Federal Volatility
The evidence for Housing First hasn’t changed, but the federal ground beneath us has. The homeless response system is facing its most significant identity crisis in a decade. As federal priorities pivot toward interim measures and increased preconditions, how do communities protect the permanent housing models that actually work? We will strip away the jargon to examine the real-world impact of the latest Continuum of Care (CoC) program changes, the legal battle to protect renewal funding, and tips on what legal issues local-government and PHA lawyers should watch for. This isn’t just a policy update; it’s a brief spotlight on how to maintain an evidence-based “North Star” when the wind is blowing in the opposite direction. The panel will also address what the Community of Care and Emergency Solutions Grant is and how they function under the Hearth Act, and what the due process rights are currently in those programs for unhoused people, and what that means for the landscape going forward with funding cuts imminent.
Speaker: Regina Nassen, Antonia Fasanelli, Mary Kenion & Maddy Gitomer

Legal Writing/Technology Webinar – Free Live For IMLA Members
2026-06-10 13:00 - 14:00
Writing with AI
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
This workshop will focus on ways to skillfully (and responsibly) leverage artificial intelligence tools during the legal writing process. We’ll cover both risks to avoid as well as helpful strategies to explore.
Speaker: Patrick Barry

Mental Health Webinar
2026-07-09 13:00 - 14:00
What’s So Funny About Being A Lawyer?
Most of us take laughter for granted. Many lawyers have a “funny story” about a case, and may enjoy comedians, especially as relief for a tough day in court. However, it may come as a surprise that using laughter as a well-being tool just like an exercise at the gym can enhance your well-being, physical health, and mental awareness. Join Noreen Braman from the New Jersey Lawyers Assistance Program in a funny, but serious, well-being boost. With thanks to William John Kane, Esq. the former director of NJLAP who originally sent Ms. Braman for the serious laughter training.
Speaker: Noreen Braman

Land Use/STRs Webinar
2026-07-23 13:00 - 14:00
Short-Term Rentals in the Courts: What Local Governments Can (and Cannot) Do Across the Circuits
Short-term rental regulation has rapidly evolved from a local zoning issue into a nationwide litigation battleground, with federal and state courts increasingly defining the constitutional and statutory limits of municipal authority. This program takes a case-driven approach, tracking how courts across multiple circuits are analyzing STR ordinances and what those decisions mean for local governments drafting or enforcing regulations.
This session synthesizes emerging doctrine across the country to identify consistent legal fault lines. It will examine how courts are applying traditional land-use principles to STRs, including whether short-term rentals constitute “residential use” or constitute impermissible commercial activity.
Speaker: Hilary McMahon

Public Comment Webinar
2026-08-04 13:00 - 14:00
Public Comment: The Good, The Bad, And The Legal
As Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) from the show Parks and Rec humorously stated: “What I hear when I’m being yelled at [during a public meeting] is people caring loudly at me.” This presentation will explore the benefits of public comment, some of the issues commonly associated with public comment, and what you can do to address those issues.
The webinar will provide local government attorneys with practical guidance on managing public comment in a manner that complies with the First Amendment, open meetings laws, and due process requirements. Topics will include permissible time, place, and manner restrictions, viewpoint neutrality, handling disruptive or abusive speakers, and best practices for advising elected officials and staff in real time.
Speaker: Todd Sheeran & Neal Falgoust

Land Use/Historic Preservation Webinar
2026-09-03 13:00 - 14:00
Key Issues in Local Historic Preservation Law
Professor Bronin will familiarize attendees with local powers to designate and regulate historic properties and put those local powers in a state and national context. She will also provide a tour of the National Preservation Atlas (www.preservationatlas.org), the country’s first-ever public resource to integrate historic properties designated the local, state, and federal levels, and the legal protections that apply to them.
Speaker: Sara Bronin
