Land Use/Zoning Webinar
2026-02-11 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
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

Small/Rural Communities Working Group Call
2026-03-16 14:00 - 15:00
If you care to take part in this call, please email cstorer@imla.org.

2026 IMLA Mid-Year Seminar
2026-04-10 08:00 - 2026-04-13 12:00
2026 IMLA Mid-Year Seminar
Washington, D.C.: April 10 – April 13, 2026
Omni Shoreham Hotel
Click here to learn more about seminars.

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

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

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.

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.
