IMLA

Sanctuary Jurisdiction Conference Call
2021-04-08 13:00 - 14:00, 2021-04-22 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
If you care to take part in this call, please email cstorer@imla.org.

2021 Mid-Year Seminar
2021-04-19 13:45 - 18:00 | Virtual
Click here for the full Seminar details.
Agenda Includes:

Welcome to IMLA / Opening Ceremonies
Redevelopment and TIFs
Getting Younger: A Guide To Abstention, Rooker-Feldman And Other Defenses To Federal Civil Rights Actions That We All Learned In Law School, But May Have Forgotten
Section 1983: The Future of Qualified Immunity
Hot Topics in Employment Law: Vaccination Do’s and Don’ts
Welcome Reception / Virtual Cocktail Hour

2021 Mid-Year Seminar
2021-04-20 12:45 - 16:30 | Virtual
Click here for the full Seminar details.
Agenda Includes:

State / Providence Brunch
Ethical Issues for Municipal Lawyers in Evolving Organizations
Public Infrastructure, Policy, Practice and Projects: Preparing Municipal Counsel for Renewed Funding & Building Opportunities in a New Era
Section 1983: Trial Practice Techniques in Police Misconduct Cases
Affordable Housing
Section 1983: Jails and the Coronavirus

2021 Mid-Year Seminar
2021-04-21 12:45 - 16:30 | Virtual
Click here for the full Seminar details.
Agenda Includes:

WONK Brunch
Section 1983: Preparing a Police Officer for Deposition Testimony
State League Meeting
Appellate Advocacy Practice Tips
Failure To Train Theory: What you Should Know in Sec. 1983 Cases
Update on the Aftermath of Reed v. Town of Gilbert
Section 1983: Protest Cases

2021 Mid-Year Seminar
2021-04-22 13:15 - 18:00 | Virtual
Click here for the full Seminar details.
Agenda Includes:

Music Licensing Update
Section 1983: Corralling Monell Discovery
Telecommunications Update: Out With The Old and In With the New: Impact of Biden Election on Federal Communications Policy Affecting Local Government Authority
Section 1983: First Amendment and Employee Discipline
Amicus Awards/Reception

2021 Mid-Year Seminar
2021-04-23 12:50 - 18:00 | Virtual
Click here for the full Seminar details.
Agenda Includes:

Public Sector Contracting: How to set up, arm and prepare a successful contracting legal team in the public sector
Section 1983: Ethical Considerations in Representing the Police
Lawyer Well Being During the Age of the Coronavirus
Small / Rural Communities Presentation: Municipally Owned Utilities
Supreme Court Update
Networking Reception

Public Records Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2021-05-04 13:00 - 14:00
How Legislation and Current Events have Changed the Public Records Landscape
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
Managing requests for public records is hard. Staying organized, coordinating moving parts, and remaining compliant with evolving compliance mandates is no small task. This presentation will discuss several rulings and pieces of legislation that have had a notable impact on those managing requests for public records: (1) How a single word like “Extraction” can create a haze of confusion; (2) how the explosion of video has outpaced some departmental policies; and (3) how work-from-home mandates have created headaches for tech-challenged departments. This presentation will also share the latest numbers and survey results from the Peers in Public Records Index, a quantifiable picture of the 124% growth in request processing complexity over the past 3 years. Additional topics may be included.
Speaker: Jen Snyder & Moses Johnson

Preemption Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2021-05-06 13:00 - 14:00
Local Authority, 2021 Legislative Sessions, and the Pandemic
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
This webinar will look at the status of local government authority post-2021 Legislative sessions with a focus on the preemption of emergency powers, police funding, punitive protest laws, and other policies.
Speaker: Benjamin D. Winig, LiJia Gong and Lindsay Wiley

Federal Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2021-05-11 13:00 - 14:00
What is Trending in the Federal Circuit Courts?
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
This presentation will discuss the current trends in the federal circuit courts. Topics include issues related to homelessness, fines and fees, novel takings cases, and new social media cases. This presentation will help put these emerging issues on your radar in case you find yourself facing one of these issues.
Speaker: Amanda Karras

Construction Webinar
2021-05-13 13:00 - 14:00
Back to Basics: Guide to Avoiding & Mitigating Construction Claims
The construction industry has faced many unique challenges since the start of 2020. As the industry adjusts to the new “normal” way of working, it is important for construction project participants to maintain focus on the basic techniques that are effective in managing construction risks that are inherent to every construction project. This session will bring participants “back to basics” and provide simple techniques that can be applied every day for the avoidance and mitigation of common issues that often manifest into complex construction claims. Our “back to basics” fall 2021 session will focus on dispute resolution.
Speaker: Bryan Payne, Brian Goodreau & Antoine Bechaalani

Code Enforcement Webinar
2021-05-18 13:00 - 14:00
Beyond Single-Family Residential: Addressing Diverse Community Housing Needs
This session will present methods communities can use to address sprawl, affordability issues, and special housing needs of some community members. Topics will include non-standard housing types such as tiny homes and accessory dwelling units; addressing the needs of seniors; and group homes.
Speaker: Roger Horner & Cathy Cunningham

Anti-Trust Litigation Webinar
2021-05-27 13:00 - 14:30
Municipal Class Actions: When to Opt-Out and When to Lead or Stay in the Class?
Class action antitrust litigation is often the most cost-effective way to obtain damages when a municipal entity is harmed by anti-competitive corporate conduct. In some instances, however, a municipality may do better to opt out of the class and become an active opt-out litigant. Opt-out class members have more input into directing litigation strategy, and have the flexibility to settle without obtaining court approval. Even when settlement is the preferred outcome, better results are achieved when counsel actively pursues discovery and prepares for trial from the outset of the litigation. This session examines the terrain of municipal antitrust suits, the pros and cons of opting out, and how to maximize recoveries.
Speaker: Robert Eisler, Deborah Elman & Suzanne Sangree

IMLA in Canada Program
2021-06-03 13:00 - 18:00, 2021-06-04 13:00 - 16:30
To view more details, click here.

Ethics Webinar
2021-06-07 13:00 - 14:00
Questions to an Ethics Hotline
This presentation will cover questions regularly raised by local government lawyers about the Rules of Professional Conduct and discuss how and which Rules answer such questions. The presentation will generally cover several of the ABA Model Rules having particular applicability to local government lawyers, including the Preamble and Scope and Rules 1.0 through 1.11, 1.13, 1.16, 1.18, Rules 3.1 through 3.5 and Rules 3.8 and 3.9, Rules 5.1 through 5.4 and Rules 8.3 and 8.4 to the extent time allows. The program anticipates that lawyers attending the program will have a better appreciation of how the Ruled of Professional Conduct apply in various situations that can regularly arise in the course of representing a local government client, how best to address their conduct in responding to those situations and what their duties and responsibilities are to the court and the bar.
Speaker: Charles W. Thompson, Jr.

Eminent Domain Webinar
2021-06-15 13:00 - 14:15
A Practical Guide on Condemnation Law from Planning to Trial
This presentation serves as a practical guide for attorneys new to condemnation, covering aspects from planning for its use, including ensuring authority to condemn, the existence of a public purpose, considering alternatives, project costs, and political/community considerations; due diligence including determining if fee or easements, among others, are needed, performing title work review, surveying and environmental studies, and appraisal hiring and review; negotiation for needed parcels; and preparation for filing of a formal petition to condemn. It will also discuss strategy for direct examination of a hired appraiser at trial.
Speaker: Julian Grant

Construction Webinar
2021-06-17 13:00 - 14:00
2021 Global Construction Disputes Report – How COVID-19 Has Impacted Projects
The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing event affecting construction projects across the globe. This webinar focuses on the impacts of the pandemic on the construction industry in 2020 and then considers how these factors will affect the industry in 2021 and beyond. The webinar will also provide participants with tangible actions they can take to mitigate disputes on their projects that are affected by COVID-19.
Speaker: Roy Cooper & Greg Holness

Contracts Webinar
2021-06-22 13:00 - 14:00
Electronic Signatures in Government Contracting
This webinar will include a brief overview of the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce (ESIGN) Act, and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA). Discussion will then focus on the experiences of Montgomery County, Maryland, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in adopting electronic signatures for use with commercial contracts, including integration with existing contracting procedures, record retention policies, lessons learned and recommended practices.
Speaker: Phillip Bullard & Trevor Ashbarry

Personnel Webinar
2021-06-24 13:00 - 14:30
Dealing with COVID-19 Related Leave Requests and the New 100% COBRA Entitlement
With the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, municipalities continue to deal with leave requests from employees for various COVID related reasons. Addressing such requests can be challenging because they may implicate various overlapping laws. On June 24, IMLA will be presenting a webinar outlining how municipalities should handle these challenges, especially the intersection of the requirements of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the recently extended and expanded tax credits available under the Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The American Rescue Plan Act extended the availability of the FFCRA tax credits on a voluntary basis until September 30, 2021 and expanded the situations in which municipalities may obtain tax credits for providing leave to employees. The presentation will also discuss the 100% Family COBRA entitlement, effective April 1, 2021.
Speaker: Jonathan Mook and Robin Cross

Disaster Webinar
2021-06-28 13:00 - 14:00
Government Disaster Declarations: 2020 Lessons Learned
Karen Kennard, Shareholder of Global Law Firm Greenberg Traurig and former Austin City Attorney and Texas Municipal League General Counsel, will give a year-in-review presentation focused on lessons learned from 2020—the year of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic—and things municipal attorneys need to know regarding government emergencies and disaster declarations.
Speaker: Karen Kennard

Disaster Webinar
2021-07-20 13:00 - 14:00
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
