2025 Community Association Law Seminar Highlights Emerging HOA/Condo Legal Issues

Each year attorneys from our firm participate in the Community Associations Institute’s (CAI) national Community Association Law Seminar. This event provides an unparalleled opportunity for continuing legal education, networking with other attorneys who practice HOA/condo law, and exploring community association legal trends.

This year’s seminar was particularly noteworthy, as Law Firm Carolinas attorney David Wilson was inducted into the prestigious College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL). Established by CAI in 1993, CCAL recognizes attorneys who have demonstrated exceptional contributions to the practice of community association law through their writings, teachings, and industry involvement. Of the thousands of attorneys practicing in this field across the United States, fewer than 200 are CCAL Fellows.

David’s induction into CCAL marks a significant milestone, as it makes Law Firm Carolinas the only legal practice in the Carolinas with three CCAL Fellows—Jim Slaughter, Harmony Taylor, and David Wilson. As a past President of the College, I’m especially proud of this accomplishment and the level of expertise it represents within our firm.

The Law Seminar once again delivered outstanding educational content, with this year’s program featuring over 20 sessions on essential HOA and condominium topics. Congratulations to Adam Marshall and David Wilson for their session, “Weathering the Storm: Getting Your Clients Through PR Nightmares,” which was selected as part of the seminar lineup. Their presentation highlighted the critical role community association attorneys play in preventing public relations crises, addressing misinformation, navigating media interactions, and skillfully conveying their clients’ perspectives to the public.

A key takeaway for our attorneys is gaining insight into legal trends likely to affect clients in the Carolinas. Some other topics covered this year were:

  • Understanding state legislative trends impacting board authority, transparency, aging infrastructure, reserves, foreclosures, education, ADR, and community property rights. 
  • Examining rental housing trends and developing strategies for associations to regulate and address renter-related challenges. 
  • Addressing rising insurance costs, deductibles, and assessment limits with practical strategies to protect financial stability and member investments.
  • Analyzing the federal declassification of marijuana and its effects on enforcement, fair housing laws, and accommodations for medical-use cases in associations. 
  • Ensuring HOPA compliance for 55+ communities by conducting surveys, updating governing documents, meeting ADA requirements, and addressing construction challenges. 
  • Proactively managing common nuisances like pickleball courts, barking dogs, fire pits, and dog parks while mitigating liabilities. 
  • Discovering solutions for reserve funding to strengthen underfunded reserves, address financial challenges, and ensure regulatory compliance. 
  • Exploring legal protections against vexatious litigants, mitigating frivolous lawsuits, and addressing challenges from AI-assisted filings. 
  • Navigating disputes over flags, banners, and signs while balancing enforcement policies and members’ rights. 
  • Understanding emotional support animals in the context of Fair Housing and state law requirements and minimizing risks. 
  • Preparing associations for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations by exploring regulations, infrastructure planning, and funding. 
  • Examining climate change trends and managing flooding issues using FEMA tools to mitigate risks and address aging infrastructure challenges.

We’ll be addressing some of these issues in future presentations and blog posts, including during “Office Hours” with association community managers.

If you have questions about these or any other HOA/condo-related topics, feel free to reach out to one of our community association attorneys in our Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Wilmington (NC) or Greenville (SC) offices.


Below are Law Firm Carolinas attorneys Jim Slaughter, Harmony Taylor, Adam Marshall, David Wilson, Ryan Futrell, and Chris Gelwicks at the 2025 Community Association Law Seminar.

HOA & Condo Associations