IMLA

Counties Meeting
2023-07-05 15:00 - 16:00, 2023-09-06 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
If you care to take part in this call or working group, please email cstorer@imla.org.

Homelessness Working Group Conference Call
2023-07-06 14:00 - 15:00, 2023-08-03 14:00 - 15:00, 2023-09-07 14:00 - 15:00, 2023-10-05 14:00 - 15:00
If you care to take part in this call, please email cstorer@imla.org.

Elected Attorney Meeting
2023-07-10 14:00 - 15:00, 2023-08-14 14:00 - 15:00, 2023-09-11 14:00 - 15:00, 2023-10-09 14:00 - 15:00

New Lawyers Meeting
2023-07-10 14:00 - 15:00

Local Government Legal Center Supreme Court Review Webinar - This is not an IMLA Webinar
2023-07-11 13:00 - 14:00
Supreme Court Review for Local Governments: 2022-2023 Term

This is NOT an IMLA webinar and CLE will not be offered by IMLA.
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 will rule on several monumental cases this term, including on issues related to:

Whether the First Amendment allows for exceptions to anti- discrimination ordinances,
The Independent State Legislature Theory,
A new test for Waters of the United States,
An important Title VII / employment law case,
And more.

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. Learn more.
Speakers: Aileen McGrath & John Korzen
Moderator: Erich Eiselt, IMLA’s Assistant General Counsel

Small/Rural Communities Working Group Call
2023-07-17 14:00 - 15:00, 2023-09-18 14:00 - 15:00

Historic Preservation Webinar
2023-07-20 13:00 - 14:00
Trends in Local and Federal Historic Preservation Law
This seminar will delve into municipalities’ powers to regulate and protect historic properties. Highlighting new research covering the 11% of municipalities with local preservation ordinances, the seminar will outline the scope of this expanding regulatory sphere. Then the presenters will explain how municipalities may become federally-recognized “certified local governments” and play a role in federal historic preservation review processes, with a focus on Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Finally, they will discuss recent federal guidance influencing local policymaking.
Speaker: Sara Bronin & Kelly Fanizzo

Award Nomination Forms are Due
2023-07-21 00:00 - 23:30
Nomination Forms for the below awards are due.

Charles S. Rhyne Lifetime Achievement Award
James H. Epps III Award for Longevity of Service to a Community Award
Marvin J. Glink Private Practice Local Government Attorney Award
Daniel J. Curtin Young Public Lawyer Award
Brown, Mulligan, Rocha Distinguished Public Service Award
Bruce A. Noble Distinguished Canadian Municipal Lawyer Award
William I. Thornton, Jr. IMLA Faculty Award
Outstanding State League Counsel Award
Brad D. Bailey Assistant City/County Attorney Award
Burk E. (Buck) Delventhal Legal Advocacy Award
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award

Virtual Section 1983 Program
2023-07-27 12:00 - 15:15
12:00PM to 12:55PM
Informal Networking Lunch

1:00PM to 2:00PM
Fourth Amendment Case Law Update
2:15PM to 3:15PM
Protest Litigation

Virtual Section 1983 Program
2023-07-28 12:00 - 15:30
12:00PM to 1:00PM
Trial Practice Skills
1:15PM to 2:15PM
Your Municipality Has Been Served With a Section 1983 Complaint. What now?
2:30PM to 3:30PM
TBA

Legal Writing Webinar
2023-08-01 13:00 - 14:00
The Optimal Amount of Advocacy
Figuring out the optimal level of advocacy can be tricky, especially when you write. You don’t want to oversell your case. But you don’t want to undersell it either. This workshop will give you a number of tips and techniques you can use to find your own sweet spot of persuasion.
Speaker: Patrick Barry

Mental Health Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2023-08-03 13:00 - 14:00
Mental Health: Maintaining Wellbeing While Negotiating Conflicting Interests
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
How do municipal lawyers manage their mental health and maintain their wellbeing, while balancing their responsibilities? This program will discuss the challenges of managing mental wellbeing while maintaining ethical responsibilities in the unique position that many municipal attorneys need to navigate on a daily basis. We will explore practical techniques for setting boundaries without compromising career growth, mindfulness practices to reduce stress, enhancing decision-making and communication for improved inclusion, and leveraging benefits to enhance overall wellbeing.
Speaker: Diane O’Connell

Police Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2023-08-08 13:00 - 14:00
Why Didn’t They Just Shoot The Gun Out of His Hand? Defending Police Uses of Force in The Era of BWC & Cell Phone Videos
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
In popular culture, fictionalized versions of police encounters often depict officers flawlessly shooting a gun out of a suspect’s hand. However, it is crucial to address the unrealistic nature of such scenarios in real-life law enforcement. This webinar aims to shed light on key topics, including the impact of life-and-death situational stress, the training officers receive, and the limitations of video evidence captured by body-worn cameras (BWC) and cell phones. By understanding these critical aspects, municipal attorneys can effectively convey accurate and informed messages to jurors, judges, insurance adjusters, and the general public.
Speaker: Beth Mohr

Animal Law Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2023-08-15 13:00 - 14:00
Best Practices for City Ordinances Related to Animals
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
The presentation will provide sound and up-to-date guidance on ensuring that animal-related ordinances are in line with current case law. The presentation will assist cities and counties in preparing their respective animal-related ordinances before legal action occurs. The presentation will provide basic ordinance guidelines and tips, as well as more specific guidance on ordinances related to dangerous dog determinations, aggressive animals, ownership, leash laws, and tethering. Several of the examples in the presentation will be related to Texas, however the presentation generally applies across all jurisdictions, based upon specific case law respective to each.
Speaker: Robyn Katz

Code Enforcement Webinar
2023-08-17 13:00 - 14:00
Creating More Livable Communities with Form-Based Codes
Understanding form-based codes is important for lawyers involved in land development as they offer a tool for achieving urban planning goals and creating more livable communities. This presentation will discuss the use of form-based codes in regulating land development to achieve a specific urban form. The webinar will also discuss how these codes prioritize physical form over land use, promoting predictable built results and a high-quality public realm through municipal regulations using examples of form-based code such as Miami 21 to illustrate the effectiveness of form-based codes along with other topics to be discussed.
Speaker: Chad Friedman

Employment Law Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2023-08-22 13:00 - 14:00
Proper Classification of Workers – Avoiding Potential Pitfalls in a Tight Labor Market
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
With the ongoing labor shortage, businesses may be tempted to explore alternative worker arrangements, such as engaging independent contractors. This session will cover the complex landscape of worker classification rules at the state, federal, and local levels. Gain valuable insights from recent litigation, specifically examining how these rules are affected during changes in administration.
Speaker: Trina Chernos

Signs and Free Speech Webinar
2023-08-24 13:00 - 14:00
Regulating Signs & Billboards after Austin v. Reagan
In 2022, Austin v. Reagan reaffirmed the ability of your community to regulate on-premises and off-premises signs (billboards), and to regulate commercial speech differently from non-commercial speech. While Austin moderates some of its impact, the 2015 Reed v. Town of Gilbert content neutrality framework remains largely in place. It constrains how communities deal with temporary signs, and continues to require a high degree of rigor in drafting.
This webinar includes a panel of experts who will describe the latest developments and how Austin and subsequent cases affect best practices for city sign regulations. Communities interested in ensuring that they have constitutionally-compliant sign ordinances will want to attend.
Speaker: Susan L. Trevarthen, Mark White & David Hickey

Annual Conference Regular Rates End
2023-08-25 00:00 - 23:30
IMLA’s 88th Annual Conference
September 27- October 1, 2023
La Quinta, California

Construction Webinar
2023-08-29 13:00 - 14:00
Alternative Project Delivery in Public Construction: Dissecting the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) Contract and Best Practices
This program will introduce municipal counsel to key differences in procurement, contract drafting, contract and claims administration and liability for Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery. CMAR contracts are emerging on the municipal construction landscape as valuable tools in the public owner’s toolbelt. As public owners turn to these project delivery models, municipal officials will turn to municipal counsel for answers. Learn both the subtle and gaping differences in the procurement and contract models, since this is not your grandparent’s low bid procurement. Program participants will learn effective two-step procurements for CMAR, best-value procurement and how to protect your municipality with tried and tested revisions to standard form industry contracts. The program wraps up with our signature “Traps for the Unwary.
Speaker: Steven “Tip” Torres

Environment Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2023-09-05 13:00 - 14:00
Municipalities and the Environment: New challenges and opportunities
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
Join experienced environmental law practitioner Rich Glaze in this webinar as he explores new challenges and opportunities for municipalities in environmental regulation, including compliance under the Biden administration, EPA Brownfield Grants, and current legal issues surrounding PFAS and emerging contaminants in areas such as airports, wastewater treatment, and drinking water. Rich’s extensive experience in defending companies, municipalities, and individuals in environmental law matters makes this webinar a valuable resource for attorneys that practice municipal law.
Speaker: Rich Glaze

PFAS Settlement Discussion
2023-10-10 15:00 - 16:00
If you care to take part in this call or working group, please email amorris@imla.org.
This call is intended to provide a forum for discussion about the proposed 3M and Dupont settlements.
Attached as well is the link www.pfaswatersettlement.com previously provided by our colleague Sara Gross at the City of Baltimore, which includes an extensive Q&A about the settlement processes/timing/required filings, and links to many of the significant documents in the litigation, from complaints to the settlement agreements.
On the call will be Stephanie Biehl, a partner at Sher Edling, a member of the PFAS Plaintiffs Executive Committee. She will not be providing advice but should be helpful in assisting us to better understand the settlement agreements and the various options facing local governments.

DEI Book Club Meeting
2023-10-11 15:00 - 16:00
If you care to take part in this call or working group, please email dshahnami@imla.org.
Join us September 13th from 3-4 pm ET to discuss From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America from Elizabeth Hinton. This hour will discuss the content of the book with those who read it and a general discussion on the topic that may include people who did not read it.
Amazon Synopsis: In the United States today, one in every thirty-one adults is under some form of penal control, including one in eleven African American men. How did the “land of the free” become the home of the world’s largest prison system? Challenging the belief that America’s prison problem originated with the Reagan administration’s War on Drugs, Elizabeth Hinton traces the rise of mass incarceration to an ironic source: the social welfare programs of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society at the height of the civil rights era.
Johnson’s War on Poverty policies sought to foster equality and economic opportunity. But these initiatives were also rooted in widely shared assumptions about African Americans’ role in urban disorder, which prompted Johnson to call for a simultaneous War on Crime. The 1965 Law Enforcement Assistance Act empowered the national government to take a direct role in militarizing local police. Federal anticrime funding soon incentivized social service providers to ally with police departments, courts, and prisons. Under Richard Nixon and his successors, welfare programs fell by the wayside while investment in policing and punishment expanded. Anticipating future crime, policymakers urged states to build new prisons and introduced law enforcement measures into urban schools and public housing, turning neighborhoods into targets of police surveillance.
By the 1980s, crime control and incarceration dominated national responses to poverty and inequality. The initiatives of that decade were less a sharp departure than the full realization of the punitive transformation of urban policy implemented by Republicans and Democrats alike since the 1960s.
