Don't miss out on IMLA's January Webinars! January 7th Webinar Tackling Section 1983 Monell Claims in Police Litigation Click here to register.<https://members.imla.org/integratedEvents/home/2025-JANUARY-7-POLICE-LIABILITY-WEBINAR> The presentation on defending Monell claims in Section 1983 police litigation will delve into the intricacies of establishing a solid defense to Monell claims faced by a municipality. It will cover the legal standards and strategies for countering claims based on alleged policy or custom violations, using case examples from police shootings, reversed convictions, and deaths in custody. Additionally, it will provide guidance on leveraging client documents and expert testimony to demonstrate sound policies and practices, emphasizing the importance of a robust defense framework. Speaker: Avi Kamionski & Shneur Nathan ________________________________ January 14th Webinar Keeping Pace with Employment Law Click here to register.<https://members.imla.org/integratedEvents/home/2025-JANUARY-14-EMPLOYMENT-WEBINAR> New employment laws and regulations as well as recent court decisions include everything from the Pregnancy Fairness Act and the EEOC's regulations, the Supreme Court's recent expansion of what constitutes an adverse employment action, and using AI in the workplace. If ensuring compliance with these developments is not enough, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is preparing to implement a slew of worker-friendly priorities if a new administration does not get in the way. Address the significant labor and employment law developments that are, and will be, affecting your operations and the landscape of employment law. Speaker: Jonathan Mook & Roberta "Robin" Cross ________________________________ January 21st Webinar The Attorney's Guide to Stress Mastery: Evidence-Based Strategies for Resilience Click here to register.<https://members.imla.org/integratedEvents/home/2025-JANUARY-21-WELLNESS-WEBINAR> Legal professionals operate in high-stress environments, where stress management and resilience are crucial for success. This workshop offers evidence-based strategies such as mindfulness, cognitive restructuring, and self-care, validated to reduce stress and enhance well-being. Gain valuable tools to find more productivity, more income, and most importantly more peace. Participants will gain insights into the impact of chronic stress on legal professionals, emphasizing the significance of resilience. Through interactive discussions and practical exercises, attendees will learn to integrate stress-reducing habits into their daily routines, supported by scientific research and real-life case studies. Speaker: Brooke Walker ________________________________ January 22nd Webinar Public Comment - The Good, The Bad, and The Legal Click here to register.<https://members.imla.org/integratedEvents/home/2024-JANUARY-22-PUBLIC-COMMENT-WEBINAR> 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. Speaker: Randall "Randy" Van Vleck, Todd Sheeran & Neal Falgoust ________________________________ January 23rd Webinar Practical Implications of the Supreme Court's Recent Free Exercise and Establishment Decisions Click here to register.<https://members.imla.org/integratedEvents/home/2025-JANUARY-23-RELIGION-WEBINAR> This webinar will address the practical implications of recent Supreme Court decisions about the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses. Led by a practicing First Amendment lawyer and a First Amendment specialist at UVA Law School, it will cover religious exemptions from civil rights law, prayer in public schools, school funding decisions, and ways in which rhetoric about religious freedom can affect case outcomes. Both of the speakers have substantial expertise working with (and representing) local governments, and will aim to provide useful guidance to lawyers seeking to navigate the Supreme Court's rapid transformation of the First Amendment Speaker: Joshua Matz & Rich Schragger ________________________________ January 28th Webinar Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Public Safety Trainers, Educators, and Instructional Designers Click here to register.<https://members.imla.org/integratedEvents/home/2025-JANUARY-28-TECHNOLOGY-WEBINAR> Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here and is not something futuristic. AI will not take away your job, but someone who knows how to use AI will take it! As a public safety trainer, educator, supervisor, instructional designer, or expert witness, learn how to integrate cutting-edge technology into your education and training programs! Here are some key topics discussed in this timely webinar: * Understanding AI Basics and Applications: Gain insights into what AI is, its current applications in various fields, and why it's becoming increasingly relevant in educational contexts. * Applying AI to Public Safety Training: Explore specific ways AI can be leveraged to enhance public safety training and instructional design, potentially improving efficiency and effectiveness. * Incorporating AI Tools into Training Programs: Learn practical methods to integrate AI tools into existing training programs to achieve better learning outcomes. This could include using AI for content creation, lesson planning, quizzes, scripting, voice generation, and more. * Developing Effective AI "Prompts": Understand how to create prompts or cues that effectively guide AI systems to produce desired outputs, enhancing the usability of AI tools in training. * Demonstrating AI Tools: Get hands-on demonstrations of select AI tools for content creation and learner data analysis. This can include creating lesson outlines, generating lesson plans, analyzing quiz results, and utilizing AI for scripting and voice generation tasks. * Discussing Ethical Issues and Agency AI Policy: Address the ethical considerations of using AI in public safety training, focusing on privacy, security, and fairness. Understand the importance of developing clear agency policies regarding AI usage to mitigate potential risks. * Summarizing AI Copyright and Legal Limitations: Learn about the legal aspects of AI usage in educational contexts, including copyright issues related to AI-generated content. Understand your rights and limitations when using AI tools for content creation. * Participants can expect to gain practical knowledge on how to integrate cutting-edge AI technology into their educational and training programs, potentially revolutionizing how they develop, deliver, and update their curriculum. This session promises to be a valuable, non-technical opportunity for anyone looking to stay ahead in educational technology and innovation within the realm of public safety training. Stay ahead of the AI technology curve! Equip yourself with the knowledge to leverage AI in your field while discovering innovative ways to improve training effectiveness and efficiency. Speaker: John G. Peters, Jr., Ph.D. ________________________________ January 30th Webinar Managing the Minefield: Practical Approaches to Difficult Lawyers and Clients Click here to register.<https://members.imla.org/integratedEvents/home/2025-JANUARY-30-PROFESSIONALISM-ETHICS-WEBINAR> This program will tackle the complex ethical challenges posed by bullying and uncivil behavior in the legal profession-not only from colleagues but also from clients. In addition to addressing how bullying and harassment among lawyers can undermine ethical practice, harm workplace culture, waste the client's time and resources, and compromise mental health, the program will explore situations where clients pressure their attorneys to act aggressively or unprofessionally. We will discuss the relevant Texas disciplinary rules and look at some real-world examples to learn how to identify and respond to both peer and client-driven bullying and unprofessional expectations, equipping you with strategies to maintain your ethical obligations. This program emphasizes the importance of being prepared to manage difficult behaviors without compromising your professional integrity. Learning Objectives: * Know the key ethics Rules and other resources that govern ethical and professional conduct in the practice of law * Identify bad behavior by other lawyers in any situation and develop strategies for dealing with it * Recognize that communication is the key to managing clients * Have a plan to take action when you encounter "bad behavior" whether from lawyers or clients Main Texas Disciplinary Rules Covered: * Competent and Diligent Representation: Rule 1.01 * Communication: Rule 1.03 * Meritorious Claims and Contentions: Rule 3.01 * Minimizing the Burdens and Delays of Litigation: Rule 3.02 * Candor Toward the Tribunal: Rule 3.03 (and it's 15 Comments) * Fairness in Adjudicatory Proceedings: Rule 3.04 * Rule 4.01: Truthfulness in Statements to Others * Rule 4.04: Respect for Rights of Third Persons Speaker: Jeanne M. Huey ________________________________ Click here<https://imla.org/webinar-schedule/> for more details on the webinar and our entire 2025 calendar. Please let me know if you have any questions or I can be of any assistance! [logo]<https://imla.org/> [facebook icon]<https://www.facebook.com/InternationalMunicipalLawyersAssociation/>[twitter icon]<https://twitter.com/imlalegal>[linkedin icon]<https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-municipal-lawyers-association-inc./> Caroline Storer (she/her) Director of Marketing and Communications International Municipal Lawyers Association P: (202) 466-5424 x7104 D: (202) 742-1384 51 Monroe St. Suite 404 Rockville, MD, 20850 Plan Ahead! See IMLA's upcoming events<https://imla.org/events/>, calls and programming.