IMLA

Preemption Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2021-05-06 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
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

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

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

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

Sanctuary Jurisdiction Conference Call
2021-04-22 13:00 - 14:00, 2021-04-08 13:00 - 14:00, 2021-03-25 13:00 - 14:00, 2021-03-11 13:00 - 14:00, 2021-02-25 13:00 - 14:00, 2021-02-11 13:00 - 14:00
If you care to take part in this call, please email cstorer@imla.org.

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
2021-04-20 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
2021-04-19 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

Elimination of Bias/Diversity and Inclusion Webinar
2021-03-31 13:00 - 14:30
Women in Law: Where Equality and Equity Exist in Local Government
As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.” This three-women-panel of local government attorneys will discuss the transformation of what women in the male-dominated legal field looked like in the past to what women in the field look like now on a structural and policy level. The presentation will discuss the shift from issues related to equality for all women to what equitable actions local governments are currently doing to prioritize and value Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) women seeking employment. The presentation will also discuss the structure of a woman-majority litigation office in local government and an example of COVID-19 provisional language that create a disproportionate effect on women over men. Additional topics may be included.
Speaker: Deanna Shahnami, Patricia Miller, Deanne Durfee & Josette Flores

Telecommunications Webinar
2021-03-29 13:00 - 14:00
A Look Into the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program
A new emergency Federal program providing Internet service discounts of $50/$75 a month for low-income households will start before the end of April. It addresses the need these households have for distance learning, telecommuting and telemedicine during the pandemic. The program was created by Congress in December and implemented by an FCC Order on February 26. It should interest municipalities, schools, churches, social service agencies and others dealing with households affected by the pandemic and which need robust Internet access. The program is of limited duration (until 6 months after the pandemic ends, or until $3.2 billion in Federal funding ends) so getting households signed up promptly is important.
We will describe the benefit ($50/$75 a month plus $100 for equipment) and the large number of households that are eligible: those with students receiving free/reduced price school meals during 2020 or 2021, SNAP (formerly food stamp) beneficiaries, and Medicaid participants as well as those getting Lifeline phone/Internet service, receiving Pell grants, or having been laid off/had a substantial loss of income since February of last year. Special additional rules apply to Tribal lands. Households will get the discounts directly from their cable, phone, cell phone or other Internet provider, with the providers reimbursed by the government. We will describe how to enroll for the discounts.
Speaker: John Pestle & Jonathan Kramer

Transportation Webinar
2021-03-23 13:00 - 14:00
Transit Oriented Development
This will be a comparative presentation on how Atlanta has handled transportation-oriented development in their communities. This presentation will explore legal issues associated with this type of development and highlight the benefits of thoughtful planning as it can support economic development. Additional topics may be included.
Speaker: Jonathan Hunt

Technology Webinar
2021-03-18 13:00 - 14:30
Hot Issues in Technology Contracts
A panel of in-house municipal attorneys from NYC to LA who specialize in technology purchases will share tips for negotiating technology contracts on behalf of a municipality. The panel will discuss topics that are current and relevant now, sharing their experiences negotiating software and technology contracts, with an emphasis on data security and cloud services. For any municipal attorney who seeks guidance on what to look out for in technology contracts, this presentation is for you!
Speaker: Eugene Hsue, Paula Donato, Philip H. Lam, Lara Mainella & Patrick Bryant

Land Use Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2021-03-16 13:00 - 14:00
Overcoming Legal Hurdles to Changing the Use of Obsolete Municipal Real Estate Facilities: A Case Study
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
Over time, municipal facilities may become obsolete. Municipalities often face legal obstacles to implementing new uses for those facilities. A municipal lawyer must find legal routes to help clients enact innovative proposals that transform a facility’s use. Where real estate assets are involved, the lawyer often must find ways to accommodate or remove existing land-use restrictions. This seminar will discuss common land-use restrictions that impede changing the use of municipal real estate and then, as a case study, examine a City of Philadelphia project that transformed an abandoned reservoir into an environmental center and park. The project required compliance with land-use restrictions imposed under the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, a major grant program that affects municipal parks and recreation facilities around the nation.
Speaker: Lawrence Copeland

Litigation Webinar
2021-03-09 13:00 - 14:30
What Every Municipal Lawyer Should Know About Recovering Damages for Legacy Environmental Contamination of Municipal Resources
Municipalities have long shouldered the burden of managing PCBs, PFAS, MBTE, TCP, Chromium and other contaminants in their drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems, often spending millions of dollars per year. This webinar provides an affirmative litigation framework for local governments to recover damages from the manufacturers, distributors and dischargers of the contaminants, shifting the financial burden away from taxpayers and ratepayers and onto the companies that profited from the sale and uncontrolled use of hazardous chemical products. The webinar will provide a brief historical overview of the development of the law of environmental recoveries: CERCLA, the Clean Water Act (and state equivalents), as well as state law claims under products liability, consumer protection, public nuisance, and trespass. It will provide an update on the proposed $550 million national class PCB settlement with Monsanto, and an overview of municipalities’ additional options to recover from dischargers the costs of PCB management, reduction, and remediation. The webinar will give an overview of the tightening regulations for PFAS in municipal water systems, and litigation options for shifting the future huge costs of PFAS remediation. Municipal law departments can bring in significant revenues through affirmative environmental litigation.
Speaker: Kyle McGee, Suzanne Sangree, Viola Vetter, & Jason Wilson

Amanda Karras to Present at NLC Conference
2021-03-09
Amanda Karras, IMLA’s Deputy General Counsel/Director of Legal Advocacy, will be presenting at NLC’s Virtual Conference regarding the Supreme Court and local governments

Telecommunications Webinar
2021-03-04 13:00 - 14:30
Update on FCC Rules on Cell Tower Zoning
Major topics will be (1) – – The September 2020 Ninth Circuit decision upholding major portions of the FCC’s 2018 Order about 5G and small cell towers in the rights of way, but restoring municipalities’ traditional discretion on aesthetic matters, and (2) – – Two FCC Orders that expand the types of changes to cell towers (notably expansions up to 30 feet outside the current cell site) which municipalities must approve. In each case we will summarize the decision, its background and provide suggestions as to how municipalities should proceed.
Speaker: John Pestle & Jonathan Kramer

Utilities Webinar
2021-02-23 13:00 - 14:00
Overview of Municipal Water and Wastewater
This presentation will address the operation of municipal water and wastewater utilities. Topics will include the application of the Clean Water Act and National Pollutant Discharge System (NPDES) permitting, the sourcing and treatment of potable water, the operation of water towers and distribution lines, the treatment and discharge of wastewater, and common liability issues.
Speaker: Ian Williams

Litigation Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2021-02-18 13:00 - 14:00
Coming Attractions: Open Issues in Civil Rights Litigation Ripe for Supreme Court Review
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
A discussion of the surprising number of significant legal issues in section 1983 litigation that the Supreme Court has yet to resolve, including the nature and extent of constitutional claims for malicious prosecution or wrongful death, what authority, other than Supreme Court decisions can “clearly establish” the law for qualified immunity, and what constitutes a de minimis recovery for purposes of an attorney fee reduction under Farrar v. Hobby.
Speaker: Tim Coates

International Steering Committee Conference Call
2021-02-11 15:00 - 16:00

Preemption Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2021-02-09 13:00 - 14:00
The Post-Election Preemption Landscape
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
The results from the November 2020 elections will have consequences for state-local government relationships across the nation. The balance of power and ability for the federal, state, and local governments to work together is critical to respond to the demands of the pandemic, strengthen the systems upholding our democracy, and address the calls for justice for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Local governments will continue to be on the front lines of myriad critical issues and will continue to be impacted by past and potential state interference that has – and intends to – thwart the ability of local governments to effectively meet the needs of their communities.
This webinar will map the changes in terrain caused by the 2020 elections, including local public health protections, workplace safety, local fiscal authority, redistricting, and criminal justice and police reform with the goal of sharing and exploring trends and informing local solutions to meet our country’s ongoing challenges.
Speaker: Kim Haddow & Rick Su

Code Enforcement & Land Use Webinar
2021-02-03 13:00 - 14:00
Complying with the Fair Housing Act While Enforcing Land Use Regulations
This presentation will discuss the Fair Housing Act, how it applies to your client, and how your client can enforce its land use regulations without running afoul of the Fair Housing Act. Such land use regulations include housing codes, zoning regulations, and other similar requirements.
Speaker: Patricia “Trish” Link

COVID-19 Conference Call
2021-02-02 15:00 - 16:00

Diversity and Inclusion Working Group Conference Call
2021-01-28 16:00 - 17:00

Counties Conference Call
2021-01-28 15:00 - 16:00

Telecommunications Webinar
2021-01-28 13:00 - 14:30
Cell Tower Leasing and Sales
This program provides municipalities (and all property owners) with the basics – – A to Z – – of cell tower leases on city property, such as a park, police station or city hall. It covers the impact of 5G service, which will require tens of thousands more cell sites, including describing 5G, why it will be rolled out slowly and why it may have little impact on lease rates or sales prices. It is presented by two attorneys with decades of experience representing municipalities 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 (often 15 to 20 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 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.
Speaker: John Pestle & Jonathan Kramer
