IMLA

Mental Health/Substance Abuse Webinar
2025-12-18 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Staying Safe and Sound for the Holidays – Strategies for the Legal Professional
Holidays are often associated with joy and excitement, but they can be stressful, overwhelming, and challenging as well. For some, holidays bring up feelings of grief, isolation, disappointment, and sadness. The holiday season can quickly bring increased stress and anxiety to members of the legal profession whose lives are already filled to the brim with those emotions.
With the alarming prevalence of substance use and mental health disorders in the legal profession, it is imperative that we are all armed with the knowledge and insight of how to approach someone who may be struggling. Certain approaches yield greater results than others. The “Intervention” methods shown on television, while often compelling, don’t typically produce excellent results – especially with members of the legal profession.
As lawyers, we all know that language is often the key to success. Why should we expect it to differ in the life and death struggle to help someone who suffers from alcohol or substance misuse or a mental health disorder? With the alarming number of suicides in our profession, it tells us that people would rather die than ask for help – and this must stop.
Mr. Quinn will discuss:

Recognize that one in three legal professionals will struggle with substance use and/or a mental health disorder at some point in their legal careers.
Spot the signs of impairment and learn the “Motivational Interventions” approach that yields results and saves lives.
The confidential, free, safe, and supportive services for lawyers, judges, their family members and law students that are available through Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers.
The barriers that exist that prevent lawyers and judges from asking for help with an alcohol/substance misuse or mental health disorder.
Identify the parameters of Rule of Professional Conduct 8.3 (c) – and the safe harbor that it provides to protect attorneys working with an approved lawyers assistance program or who contact a LAP on behalf of an attorney or judge who is struggling.

Speaker: Brian S. Quinn

Employment Law Webinar
2026-01-06 13:00 - 14:00
The Sea-Change in Labor and Employment Law
In just the first year of President Trump’s second term, he has totally refashioned the labor and employment law landscape not only from that of his predecessor, but also from that of prior Republican administrations. This session will highlight the changes that have occurred as well as those that are on the horizon. Topics to be discussed include:

Who are the new heads of the EEOC and the Department of Labor, and what is their agenda
The EEOC’s initiatives to root out unlawful DEI programs and reverse discrimination and to further the religious rights of employees
Questions as to the extent of protections for transgender employees
DOL’s agenda to lessen Biden-era requirements
Continued impact of Supreme Court’s Muldrow decision and likely impact of Court’s decision on making it easier to pursue reverse discrimination claims
Countering the discriminatory impact of AI

Speaker: Jonathan Mook

Telecom Webinar
2026-01-13 13:00 - 14:00
Robocall Me Maybe? The Remix: How to Comply with Federal Law when your City Makes Automated Calls and Texts
As cities seek to streamline processes and efficiently utilize funds in continually decreasing budgets, automated phone calls and text messages (“robocalls” and “robotexts”) may appear to be a cost‐effective option to communicate with citizens. This presentation discusses the applicable federal laws and regulations that govern automated calls, including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) Broadnet Order on Reconsideration in 2020, the FCC’s rule updates in 2023, and recent court cases. Additionally, this presentation describes practical considerations and best practices for cities to ensure compliance with federal law when contacting citizens by automated calls and texts, including those related to telephone town halls, municipal court cases, and water utility service.
Speaker: David Johnson

ADA Website Compliance Webinar – Free Live For IMLA Members
2026-01-15 13:00 - 14:00
New Federal Rule for Digital Accessibility
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
Learn more about the fast-approaching, digital compliance requirement for all government entities and special districts. How will this impact your cities websites, online documents, and mobile applications? Unwrap the minimum accessibility standard, what it means to cities, common pitfalls, and helpful resources for accomplishing compliance.
Speaker: Zack Looney, Megan Griffith & Kara Coustry

Jail Administration Webinar
2026-01-22 13:00 - 14:30
Inmate Litigation – Techniques for Using the Prison Litigation Reform Act
In this presentation, we will cover the background of the PLRA, and explore multiple ways that the PLRA can be used to successfully defend inmate litigation. We will look at procedural hurdles, limitations on recovery, and the critical importance of having a well-crafted inmate grievance process.
Speaker: Elmer Dickens

Environmental Law/Compliance Webinar
2026-01-27 13:00 - 14:00
Navigating NEPA and ESA Compliance in a Changing Landscape
This panel of environmental law experts will unpack recent and proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). With a new focus on streamlining and flexibility, Federal reforms are reshaping timelines, processes, and standards. Municipal agencies face new challenges and opportunities in land use planning, infrastructure development, water supply planning, and conservation.
Speaker: Gary M. Gold & Joseph Manalili

Election Law Webinar
2026-01-29 13:00 - 14:00
Election Law 2026: Legal Challenges and Readiness for the Midterms
The 2026 mid-term elections are fast approaching amidst a continually changing environment of Presidential Executive Orders, litigation affecting voting rights and procedures, and concerns regarding the security of the nation’s election infrastructure. While elections are generally the purview of states and localities, we will discuss federal-level legal issues that may affect how elections are conducted nationwide, as well as legal and administrative strategies to prepare for challenges to election administration and the integrity of election results. We will also cover legal issues related to redistricting, voter rolls, and cybersecurity.
Speaker: Mike Haas

Environmental Law/PFAS Webinar – Free Live For IMLA Members
2026-02-03 13:00 - 14:00
Product Liability Law: Legal Strategies to Help Close Funding Gaps for PFAS and Perchlorate Contamination
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
This webinar will provide an overview of how legal action against polluting chemical manufacturers is providing significant funding for municipalities nationwide. Ken Sansone will first provide a brief update on state and federal standards for contaminants in drinking water, wastewater, and biosolids, including the impact of recent changes to federal PFAS policy, with a focus on the anticipated challenges and costs for local governments. The webinar will also address recent federal regulatory updates for perchlorate, another water contaminant. Then, Ken will discuss how municipalities affected by contamination have used product liability law to pursue legal action against the manufacturers responsible for pollution, referencing case studies from cities that recovered funds in 2025 through the PFAS drinking water settlements. Ken will explain the full legal process used in these cases, from initial detection of contaminants to the receipt of compensation. Attendees will gain a greater understanding of how legal strategies may help local governments close funding gaps.
Speaker: Ken Sansone

ESA Law Webinar
2026-02-05 13:00 - 14:30
Emotional Support Animal and Compliance Webinar
Municipalities are facing more emotional support animal requests than ever, whether in a Public Housing Agency, Section 8 and other voucher housing, animal welfare reports, or removal/ euthanasia of dangerous animals.
An estimated 60-90% of Emotional Support Animal and Psychiatric Service Dog letters for housing accommodation under Section 504 and the Fair Housing Act are invalid or fraudulent. HUD’s 2013 Assistance Animal guidelines provided a map for international website owners and unethical medical practitioners to create “internet letter mills” that immediately send Emotional Support Animal Letters after a credit card entry, sometimes after a perfunctory phone or video call. There is no medical examination with personal knowledge nor ongoing medical therapy requiring an assistance animal. To combat pervasive fraud, HUD issued 2020 guidelines and asked the FTC to investigate this internet disability fraud, but the FTC declined to do so. The result was more proliferation of fraudulent ESA disability letters.
After the Supreme Court case of Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (2024), courts began to interpret FHA statutes and codes instead of precedents based on HUD guidelines or other disability laws. In September 2025, HUD withdrew its guidelines. (Note: HUD still has not updated its website to reflect the current state of the law.)
The risks of accommodating a fraudulent request may be just as high as denying a valid request. Requests must be considered on a case-by-case basis, and use of a third-party internet verification service may violate the Fair Housing Act. Thus, municipalities should remain the primary arbiters of ESA letter validity and attorneys should update their animal policies and training.
Federal assistance animal accommodation is a creation of law that stems from ethical medical clinicians who examine humans and treat with therapy using an animal. A request also requires an examination of the animal by a person competent to document that a specific animal alleviates a substantially limited major life activity (caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, etc.).
Speakers: Teresa Martinez, Zenithson Ng & William D. Goren

Airport Law Webinar – Free Live For IMLA Members
2026-02-10 13:00 - 14:00
Airport Law for Municipal Governments
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
This CLE webinar provides municipal attorneys with a practical overview of airport law issues facing local governments that own or operate public-use airports. The program will cover core federal and state regulatory frameworks, including FAA grant assurances, compliance and enforcement trends, land-use compatibility, and risk-management considerations for both large and small airports. The webinar will also introduce the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), highlighting how municipal lawyers can leverage ACRP reports and research to inform policy decisions, support airport operations, and address emerging legal and operational challenges. This session emphasizes real-world applications and best practices for major airports and local county airports.
Speaker: Timothy Ravich & Jordan Christensen

Land Use/Zoning Webinar
2026-02-11 13:00 - 14:00
Pickleball Courts and Zoning
Too often cities are becoming embroiled in raucous public meetings, adverse publicity, and lawsuits due to conflict between pickleball players and residential neighbors. We will review the rapid growth and genuine benefits of pickleball as a recreation for your city. We give a brief introduction to acoustic sciences and why this noise is different from tennis and genuinely annoying to the neighbors. The shortfalls in the typical noise enforcement ordinances are explained, as well as why pickleball noise is so difficult to quantify with a decibel meter. We will review litigation examples around the county as municipalities defend themselves from poor planning choices. We discuss the range of costly and difficult after-the-fact mitigation solutions such as noise barrier walls, limiting hours of play, and attempts to mandate quiet equipment. We review some of the zoning, planning, and permitting ordinances adopted in recent years and since the previous webinar on this subject, as cities learn to avoid a problem that is so difficult to correct once the mistake has been made.
Speakers: Charles Leahy & Kathleen Romito

Federal Funding Webinar
2026-02-18 13:00 - 14:00
Federal Funding: Navigating a Changing Landscape, Winter Update
Local governments across the United States are working to understand the implications of recent Executive Orders and other federal agency actions related to federal funding. This panel will summarize ongoing litigation, federal agency directives, and best practices for localities navigating this changing landscape.
Speaker: Michael Gaffney & Ana Schwab

Wellness/Ethics Webinar
2026-03-03 13:00 - 14:30
The Care & Upkeep of the Government Lawyer: Wellness at Work
Join Zee Bishop, senior counsel for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, as she shares wisdom from her time running her office’s wellness program to help listeners create a better balance between their careers and their own well-being. Zee will also cover where ethics and wellness overlap and address model rules 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.15, 5.1, 5.3, and conflict rules in this presentation.
Speaker: Zee Bishop

First Amendment Webinar
2026-03-11 13:00 - 14:00
Audit or Ambush? Legal Strategies for Navigating First Amendment Audits
Audit or Ambush? Legal Strategies for Navigating First Amendment Audits examines the growing trend of individuals who record government facilities and public officials under the guise of “First Amendment audits” and the legal, operational, and reputational risks these encounters present for municipalities. Designed for municipal attorneys and government counsel, this webinar provides a practical legal framework for assessing First Amendment protections, time-place-and-manner restrictions, and common constitutional pitfalls that lead to litigation. Participants will gain actionable strategies for advising municipal clients, coordinating with law enforcement and frontline staff, and reducing exposure while preserving constitutional rights in an era of constant recording and online scrutiny.
Speaker: Eric Daigle

Land Use Webinar
2026-03-12 13:00 - 14:00
Zoning Regulation of Group Homes and Residential Recovery Facilities: Lawful Techniques and Litigation Risks
Local governments increasingly face complex zoning questions involving group homes, residential recovery facilities, and other non-traditional residential uses. These matters sit at the intersection of local land-use authority, federal and state fair housing laws, disability rights protections, and evolving enforcement priorities, making them among the most legally sensitive zoning issues municipalities face.
This webinar examines lawful zoning techniques available to local governments when regulating group homes and residential recovery facilities, with a focus on how to structure zoning codes and enforcement practices that withstand legal scrutiny. The session will address the Fair Housing Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and related state law requirements.
Speakers: Mary (Molly) Costello & Leonard Reuter

FEMA Webinar – Free Live For IMLA Members
2026-05-06 13:00 - 14:00
Emergency Management in Transition: Recent Federal Changes and Local Impacts
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
This presentation will provide key updates on recent federal law, regulation and policy changes in the field of emergency management and their implications for local governments, with a focus on disaster recovery, mitigation funding, and compliance requirements. This session will also highlight practical strategies for navigating evolving federal guidance and ensuring community resilience.
Speaker: Danielle Aymond

Telecommunications Webinar
2026-05-12 13:00 - 14:00
Telecom Law for Local Governments: A Practical Overview of Today’s Key Issues
This session provides a high-level overview of various telecommunications issues encountered by local governments, serving as an introductory survey of the landscape for municipal practitioners. Some of the major topics for this session will include:

ISM Band proceeding

The FCC is considering a Petition for Rulemaking filed by NextNav to reconfigure the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (“ISM”) band, which is heavily used for metering, polling, and RFID devices. Speakers will discuss the proceeding and industry reactions.

NEPA/NHPA

The FCC’s implementation of NEPA and the NHPA creates compliance obligations for many involved in the construction of communications infrastructure. Speakers will discuss the implementation of the statutes, the FCC’s current rulemaking proceeding that seeks to pare the regulations back, and compliance best practices.

911/NG911 transition and compliance issues

We will provide an update on several active FCC rulemaking proceedings that govern the reliability of the nation’s 911 system, providing 911 call centers with accurate location information of a caller, and requiring 911 providers to report 911 outage information.

Anterix Rebanding and pLTE

A brief history of the FCC’s realignment of the 900 MHz band (and Anterix’s progress clearing the band and leasing and selling broadband licenses), as well as an update on the FCC’s recent expansion from a 3/3 MHz broadband segment to a 5/5 MHz segment.
Speakers will also discuss private LTE network options in various bands, including T-Mobile, 450 MHz, and 1.4 GHz.

ROW/Franchising

An update on the status of federal efforts to remove perceived barriers to broadband deployments by imposing limits on state and local right-of-way and franchising authority.

Pole Attachments

A brief overview of federal pole attachment regulation and information on pending Congressional and FCC efforts to impose regulations on governing access to municipally-owned poles, ducts, and conduits.

Small Cells

A brief overview of federal limitations on local regulation of small cell and wireless permitting, including pending Congressional and FCC efforts to expand upon the FCC’s 2018 Small Cell Order.

Municipal broadband/public private broadband partnerships

A brief discussion of the key legal issues related to municipal broadband and public private partnerships.

Speaker: Wes Wright, Sean Stokes & Tim Doughty

Construction Law Webinar
2026-05-13 13:00 - 14:30
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

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

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

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
