IMLA

FEMA Webinar – Free Live For IMLA Members
2026-05-06 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
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

LGLC 2026 Elections: Local Government Roles and Responsibilities - This is not an IMLA Webinar
2026-05-11 13:00 - 14:00
2026 Elections: Local Government Roles and Responsibilities

This is NOT an IMLA webinar and CLE will not be offered.
Kitchen Sink Subscribers will need to register for this program, it will not be automatically sent.
Hosted by the Local Government Legal Center (LGLC), join legal and election experts in a discussion regarding the regulatory and administrative responsibilities local leaders should understand for the upcoming election cycle. This webinar will provide an overview of the new executive orders and federal policies impacting the upcoming 2026 elections, as well as the legal parameters local governments should understand that will impact their roles and responsibilities for election administration.
Speaker: Amanda Karras, Seth Bluestein, Michael Haas & Leslie Reynolds

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

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: Antonia Fasanelli, Mary Kenion, Maddy Gitomer & Stefanie Wilson

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

LGLC Supreme Court Review for Local Governments: 2025-2026 – This is not an IMLA Webinar
2026-07-27 14:00 - 15:00
This is NOT an IMLA webinar and CLE will not be offered.
Kitchen Sink Subscribers will need to register for this program, it will not be automatically sent.
Hosted by the Local Government Legal Center (LGLC), join legal experts in a discussion of the Supreme Court’s important decisions of the term impacting local governments. The Supreme Court heard several monumental cases this term, including cases related to:

Local government tax foreclosure and the amount of equity that is due back to a homeowner after a tax sale;
Election law and redistricting issues;
Law enforcement issues including qualified immunity and geofence warrants;
Birthright citizenship; and
The Second Amendment

The LGLC is a coalition of national local government organizations formed in 2023 by the National Association of Counties (NACo), National League of Cities (NLC) and International Municipal Lawyers Association (IMLA) to provide education to local governments regarding the Supreme Court and its impact on local governments and local officials and to advocate for local government positions at the Supreme Court in appropriate cases. Visit the Local Government Legal Center to learn more.
This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Please note that members of the Local Government Legal Center will not provide Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits for participation in or completion of this material.

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

Technology Webinar
2026-08-06 13:00 - 14:00
AI, Evidence, and the Future of Legal Practice
This session examines how AI tools are restructuring evidence gathering, record-building, document analysis, and response drafting — and what legal professionals need to build to operate effectively in that environment. Drawing on firsthand experience deploying a coordinated AI workflow across two complex legal matters, the presenter introduces a structured framework organized around four capability areas: AI Literacy, AI Judgment, AI Workflow, and AI Leadership. Attendees leave with a practical diagnostic and a concrete methodology for building matter intelligence that compounds over time.
Speaker: Robyn Charles

Technology Webinar – Free Live For IMLA Members
2026-08-12 13:00 - 14:00
From RFP to Invoice Review: How Municipalities Can Strengthen Outside Counsel Oversight

Sponsored by Onit.
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
Municipal legal departments rely on outside counsel for high-stakes matters, but many face growing pressure to manage firm performance, control legal spend, enforce billing guidelines, and maintain visibility across active matters.
Join Jeffrey Solomon for a CLE discussion on how government legal teams can strengthen outside counsel oversight from selection through matter closeout. The session will cover how RFPs, engagement terms, billing guidelines, invoice review, matter tracking, and performance reporting can help legal departments create more consistent, accountable processes without adding unnecessary administrative burden.
The program will also address the role of technology-enabled workflows, including e-billing, matter management, reporting dashboards, and automated or AI-assisted invoice review, while keeping attorney judgment, governance, and public-sector accountability at the center.
Speaker: Jeffrey Solomon

Immigration/Land Use Webinar – Free Live For IMLA Members
2026-08-25 13:00 - 14:00
Local Governments and ICE Detention Facilities: Legal Authority, Constraints, and Litigation
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
Mark and Amanda will provide a practical overview of the legal tools and limitations available to local governments when faced with proposals for immigration detention facilities. Drawing on real-world experiences from communities that have grappled with these issues, panelists will discuss strategies that local governments have explored, the legal theories underlying those approaches, and how courts have responded to similar efforts around the country.
The program is designed to help local government attorneys advise their clients when elected officials direct staff to evaluate options for permitting, regulating, or opposing their development. Attendees will gain insight into current litigation trends and the potential risks and considerations that arise when federal immigration enforcement interests intersect with local land use and governance authority.
Rick Su will talk about the refusal of towns to hook up or provide services that they claim will overwhelm their infrastructure, especially water, sewer, and power. He will also discuss how this could put the federal government in a difficult position, as efforts to mandate expansion for connection raises commandeering concerns.
Speaker: Rick Su, Amanda Berndt & Mark Kittrell

Legal Office Management Webinar
2026-08-26 13:00 - 14:00
Exploring Local Government Legal Operations as a Management Discipline
This webinar explores the emerging concept of Local Government Legal Operations as a Management Discipline. Attendees will examine why leadership of a modern local government legal office requires more than legal expertise and consider common challenges of many local government legal office leaders, including the lack of formal preparation for organizational leadership and the reality that urgent demands often overshadow the long-term responsibilities that strengthen an organization over time.
Drawing on her nearly 30 years in public service and experience leading local government legal offices, Natalia S. Harris will share practical information, insights, and a framework centered on Governance, Continuity and Execution. She will discuss six foundational leadership principles that support intentional leadership and resilient local government legal offices, to include disciplined modernization.
Speaker: Natalia Harris

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

Ethics Webinar
2026-09-09 13:00 - 14:00
Legal Ethics and the Municipal Attorney
In this program, Texas Center for Legal Ethics Executive Director Brad Johnson will discuss several Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, with a focus on municipal attorneys. The discussion will include conflict-of-interest rules (Model Rule 1.7), representation of an organization (Model Rule 1.13), and more.
Speaker: Brad Johnson

2026 IMLA 91st Annual Conference
2026-09-23 08:00 - 2026-09-27 12:00
2026 IMLA 91st Annual Conference
Salt Lake City, Utah: Wednesday, September 23 – Sunday, September 27, 2026
Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City
Click here to learn more about conferences.

Ethics Webinar
2026-10-21 13:00 - 14:00
Disorder in The Court: The Crossroads of Incivility and Wellness in the Legal Profession
Abrasive or burned out? Overworked or uncivil? Zealous advocate or bully?
The legal profession is currently navigating a critical crossroads where the traditional, often adversarial culture of lawyering meets an urgent need for practitioner well-being. Based on recent reports, it is widely believed that civility in the legal profession is under severe strain, with many arguing it is in critical condition. While not entirely dead, the standard of courteous, professional behavior is facing unprecedented challenges from rising polarization, digital communication, and a “win-at-all-costs” mentality.
Evidence shows that incivility—ranging from bullying and excessive, unreasonable demands to routine discourtesy—is directly linked to substance misuse, burnout, anxiety, and depression, issues which lawyers andare already experiencing at significantly higher rates than the general population.
Mr. Quinn will discuss:

The link between incivility and poor wellness, with emphasis on stress and burnout in the legal profession.
How uncivil conduct can be confused with “zealous” representation.
Ethical issues created by incivility, including violations of Rules 3.3 (Candor Toward the Tribunal), 3.4 (Fairness to Opposing Party and Counsel) and Rule 3.5 (Impartiality and Decorum of the Tribunal).
A “master plan” for addressing mental health challenges facing lawyers.
Initiatives that can be developed on an individual, firm and cultural level to support wellness and reduce uncivil conduct.
How to access the free, confidential resources offered by Lawyer Assistance Programs.

Speaker: Brian Quinn

First Amendment Webinar
2026-10-22 13:00 - 14:30
Debugging City Hall: The Practical, Ethical, and Litigation Risks of Lindke v. Freed at Two Years
While the Supreme Court’s two-prong test is now familiar, the operational gap between the doctrine and its daily application remains the hard part for municipal counsel. Lindke v. Freed replaced appearance-based reasoning with a structured test: actual authority to speak for the government on the specific matter, and a purported exercise of that authority in the specific post or moderation action. Lower courts are still working out what that test means for individual officials, mixed-use accounts, and the moderation decisions that generate § 1983 claims. This program covers the doctrine, the litigation file it produces, and the practical problem of applying the test at the scale a municipal practice actually faces.
Professor Brian Owsley brings the bench’s reading of Lindke and the academy’s reading of how the lower courts are applying it. He is an author and IMLA presenter on First Amendment and § 1983 doctrine.
Tom Wright brings the operational side: what the litigation file looks like when it arrives, what the ethics rules require when the city attorney is simultaneously defending the municipality and advising the individual official, and how to structure compliance reviews that preserve privilege under model rules 1.6 and 1.13.
Chaz Stevens is the named plaintiff in Stevens v. LaMarca, a § 1983 social-media-blocking matter against an individual state legislator, the post-Lindke fact pattern lower courts are currently working out. He brings the plaintiff’s chair perspective and a structured method for measuring official-account exposure across the Lindke prongs, presented to show defense counsel how a plaintiff maps a municipal digital record before the city knows a claim is brewing.
Speaker: Chaz Stevens, Brian Owsley & Tom Wright

2027 IMLA 92nd Annual Conference
2027-10-14 08:00 - 2027-10-18 12:00
2027 IMLA 92nd Annual Conference
Denver, Colorado: Thursday, October 14 – Monday, October 18, 2027
Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center
Click here to learn more about conferences.
