Connect 351, MMA's Annual Conference and Trade Show, will take place from Thursday, January 22, 2026 through Saturday, January 24, 2026. For a second year in a row, the conference will be at the Boston Convention & Exposition Center in the Seaport area of Boston, moving from its past location at the Hynes Convention Center. As we have in the past, MMLA will have a booth on the trade floor and will be presenting an update on municipal law to conference attendees. This year's Update on Municipal Law takes place on Friday, January 23rd during the 1st Workshop Session (starting at 2:15 p.m.) and will be led by MMLA President Shawn Williams, with panelists Sam Dinning, Chief of Staff and Policy for the City of Boston Law Department, Batool Raza, General Counsel for the Boston Public Health Commission, and Steven "Tip" Torres, Partner at West Group Law, PLLC, discussing the impact on local governments of key federal and state cases, agency decisions, regulations, new laws and developing issues. If you are an MMLA member and are interested in volunteering to help staff our booth on January 22nd or 23rd, please contact Jim Lampke.
We will have a bonus January monthly lunch and learn webinar held on Wednesday, January 28th at noon. Many of you expressed interest in learning about litigation involving the cost of fire trucks. During this webinar, we will hear from Kevin Mulvey of Shawmut Strategies Group about this litigation. In the last ten years, firetruck prices have doubled — more than inflation alone can account for — and wait times for new firetruck orders have increased from 18 months to longer than four years. The complaint in this litigation alleges that due to artificially inflated prices and widespread production backlogs, communities across the country are being forced to keep aging equipment on their front lines long after recommended retirement dates, leaving communities and citizens compromised.
If you have particular questions that you want the Kevin to address, please send them to Jim Lampke at james.lampke@lampkelaw.com and he will pass them along.
Registration and additional information coming soon!
Lawyers who represent and advise our cities, towns, or other public sector clients encounter complex, multi-disciplinary questions daily, ranging from A (affirmative litigation) to Z (zoning). The breadth and depth of legal competence required of the public sector attorney can be staggering. Similarly, attorneys who represent private clients in their dealings with local government are working in an ever-changing legal framework and are challenged to keep abreast of the rapidly evolving legal landscape. Get the latest essential updates and developments from the legislature, government regulators, and courts. The accelerating rate of change in municipal law makes this Conference indispensable to those who work in and with the public sector. Learn how your counterparts across the Commonwealth are navigating the latest legal challenges in the municipal arena!
Agenda, faculty, and registration information coming soon on the MCLE website.
1.781.749.9922executivedirector@massmunilaw.org
Massachusetts Municipal Lawyers Association115 North StreetHingham, MA 02043