NALC Webinar Series: A look at recent presentations and what’s on the horizon

by Drew Viguet, NALC Communications & Special Projects Coordinator

Recent NALC webinars have focused on a variety of agricultural and food law topics, including agrivoltaics, best practices for starting and maintaining student agricultural law associations, right to repair and agriculture, and a discussion on career and professional advice with USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small.

“Our goal is for NALC webinars to cover a wide variety of current and emerging agricultural and food law issues to help inform NALC stakeholders throughout the U.S.,” NALC Director Harrison Pittman said. “Specifically for students and their mentors, our webinar series also includes ‘Growing Careers’ programs as part of our NALC Ag & Food Law Bridges Initiative, such as our recent webinar with USDA Deputy Secretary Torres Small.”

“Our webinars are one part of how we fulfill our national research and information mission to the nation’s agricultural community,” he said. “We are already gearing up for 2025 and, as always, welcome input from producers, attorneys, and others throughout the agricultural community on topics that would be helpful to them.”

Pittman said that webinar attendees and NALC stakeholders in general are encouraged to participate in the NALC Stakeholder Survey, which is available online. Additionally, any ideas any ideas, comments, or suggestions regarding NALC webinars can be shared by emailing nataglaw@uark.edu.

In 2025, the NALC will also continue its “Western Water” Webinar Series, designed to highlight important water law topics that are especially relevant to the Western U.S. The first installment of the series covered legal and strategic considerations in developing groundwater recharge projects.

Below is information on the remaining 2024 webinar and recaps of recent presentations. A full list of upcoming and recent webinars can be found on our Webinar Series page. All NALC webinars are recorded and archived, and links to the recordings of past webinars are located on each specific webinar page. Webinar registrants also automatically receive an email with a link to the specific webinar page, which contains the recording, the day following the presentation.

Stay tuned to the NALC website and social media accounts (Facebook, LinkedIn, and X) for updates on upcoming webinars. You can also subscribe to email notifications about upcoming NALC webinars here. Information on all of our communications options is available here.

Upcoming webinars:

State Approaches to Clearing Title to Heirs Property

“Heirs property” has disproportionately affected BIPOC communities, especially in the southern United States. An heirs property situation often occurs when a landowner passes away “intestate,” without a will or other estate plan. As generations pass, the number of owners for a single property can increase significantly, and methods to clear title are often difficult to implement. During our Nov. 20 webinar, Jesse Richardson, professor of law and lead land use attorney at West Virginia University College of Law, and Jill Apter, NALC research fellow and student at Michigan State University College of Law, will discuss the results of their 50-state survey of different approaches to the issue, as well as highlight some best practices.

Recent webinars:

Equine Activity & Agritourism Statutes: Strategies for Risk Management

NALC Senior Staff Attorney Rusty Rumley and Dr. Tim Potter of Potter Consulting, LLC discussed states’ equine activity and agritourism statutes and strategies for risk management, such as implementing comprehensive safety protocols, obtaining appropriate insurance coverage, and clearly communicating potential risks to participants that are unavoidable. They also worked through real-world scenarios on how business owners can take steps to limit their risk exposure.