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JURIS has long partnered with Wayne C. Beyer, author of Police Misconduct: A Practitioner's Guide to Section 1983, to host several webinar programs that provide training for both plaintiff and defense lawyers in Section 1983 cases. Featured below are for-credit CLE programs that were held live and recorded. They offer Continuing Legal Education credit to interested attorneys. These programs are available to anyone who has purchased Police Misconduct. Details for each program are below. 
How to Access the Recordings:
Each webinar program draws from Police Misconduct: A Practitioner's Guide to Section 1983, and access to the recordings is available to anyone who has purchased the publication. If you haven't already, buy the book on our website using a credit card. If you purchase on Amazon or through another third party vendor, your purchase will need to be verified. Purchasing the book will also allow you to attend live or access the recordings of future programs with Wayne Beyer hosted by JURIS. Once you have purchased the book, you can choose any or all of five, for-credit CLE webinars, each valued at up to $200. Register for the webinar recording with the links below. Your registration will be verified with a sale of the book and once verified you can watch the recording at your leisure. If you haven't purchased the publication, you can do so here: http://www.jurispub.com/Bookstore/Police-Misconduct.html
Continuing Legal Education Credit:
Each webinar recording will feature CLE details that list the amount of credit hours. Each program will also have a PDF Attorney Affirmation Form, which will need to be filled out to receive NYS CLE credit and/or a general certificate of attendance. Unique CLE Codes will be displayed during each program. Once the program is complete, fill out the attorney affirmation form and send to our CLE Manager, Jessica Hernandez (jhernandez@jurispub.com). If you wish to obtain CLE in states other than New York, these certificates can be used to apply for CLE credit in your state.
Recordings of 2025 Programs: “Mastering Police Liability and Damages in Death Cases under § 1983”
Live program recorded on April 17th, 2025 Program Description: Your next police liability case under § 1983 may be a fatality or involve a catastrophic injury. Are you ready for the challenge? Maximizing your recovery for the plaintiff? Or damage control and avoiding a blow-up verdict for the defense? This program will take you through what you need to know, from case selection for the plaintiff; investigation and representation for the defense; discovery for both sides; the three experts you will need; the defense motion for summary judgment; negotiation and settlement; evidentiary issues for trial; jury selection, instructions, and the verdict form; trial and post-trial motions and fees. - Case Selection for the Plaintiff: Fatal shootings, pursuits, in-custody death, and high-risk warrant execution. Liability and damages issues in high exposure cases.
- Investigation and Representation for the Defense: Differences in criminal, administrative and civil investigations. Conflict of interest issues in representing individuals and their employing government.
- Complaint, Answer, and Removal: Preparing complaint that meets plausibility requirement for individuals, and avoids motion to dismiss Monell policy and custom allegations. Defendants’ answer and whether to file motion to dismiss. Removal of case to federal court.
- Discovery in High Exposure Cases: Discovery regarding plaintiff. Privileges. Motions to stay while charges are pending, and motions for protective orders and to compel.
- Liability, Damages Experts, and the Medical Examiner: Three must-have experts: police practices on liability, economist on economic losses to estate, and medical examiner on cause and manner of death, as well as toxicology and evidence of conscience pain and suffering.
- Defense Motion for Summary Judgment: Defendants’ opportunity to eliminate or narrow issues for trial. On undisputed facts, defendants will argue no constitutional violation and/or qualified immunity, plus insufficient evidence of Monell policy or custom.
- Case Evaluation, Negotiation, and Settlement: Cases with high public interest and political impact require different treatment. The defendants’ need to focus on damages that will be provable at trial. Negotiation strategy and settlement documents.
- Evidentiary Issues for Trial: Candidates for motions in limine include law enforcement officers’ discharge and prior discipline, results of incident investigation, internal policies versus national standards, less intrusive alternatives, and limits on expert opinions.
- Jury Selection: Jurors likely to be favorable to plaintiff, and those more likely to favor defense. Jurors that both sides should avoid.
- Defendants’ Rule 50 Motion: After close of the plaintiff’s case and all the evidence, defense argues that no reasonable jury could find for plaintiff. Issues like qualified immunity that must be raised to protect record.
- Jury Instructions: Standard instructions. Checklist of special instructions. Qualified immunity as judge or jury issue. How to draft detailed instruction on clearly established law and ask single factual question on whether defense violated it.
- Special Verdict Form: Avoid duplication of damages where there are multiple claims and defendants. Why apportionment is wrong. Why defense must have special verdict on damages to protect record.
- Post-Trial Motions under Rules 50, 59, and Remittitur: When judgment is against defendants, arguments to raise as matter of law under Rule 50, as matter of weight of evidence and admission of evidence under Rule 59, and bases for remittitur.
- Attorney’s Fees: Prevailing plaintiff’s entitlement to fees under § 1988. What needs to be in plaintiff’s petition, and defense strategy to reduce award.
- All this, plus links to resources you can use in your practice.
CLE Details: NYS CLE credit (transitional and non-transitional) in the area of Professional Practice (1.5 hours) and a general certificate of attendance will be provided upon request for all other jurisdictions.
Click Here to download the Attorney Affirmation Form Recordings of 2024 Programs: “Special Topics for the Section 1983 Police Practitioner”
Live program recorded on November 13th, 2024 Program Description: From First Amendment considerations (including public forums and use of force in demonstrations) to Fourth Amendment nuances (such as searches of persons and the knock-and-announce rule), this program delves into essential topics. It also explores the line between Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment, wrongful convictions, and Fourteenth Amendment updates. Plus, you’ll gain insights into qualified immunity through recent cases. This program will address: - First Amendment. Public and limited public forums; use of force in demonstrations; retaliatory arrests after Nieves v. Bartlett and Gonzalez v. Trevino; public officials’ social media accounts after Lindke v. Freed, and O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier.
- Fourth Amendment. Searches of persons; knock-and-announce rule after Breonna Taylor.
- Line between Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment. Use of force under Kingsley v. Henderson; pursuits; malicious prosecution since Thompson v. Clark, and Chiaverini v. City of Napoleon, Ohio; and wrongful conviction after Reed v. Goertz.
- Fourteenth Amendment update. Duty to those in custody; danger-creation theory; and interference with family relationships.
- Fifth and Sixth Amendments. Miranda warnings since Vega v. Tekoh.
- Latest issues under qualified immunity. Discussing District of Columbia v. Wesby, City of Escondido v. Emmons, Rivas-Villegas v. Cortesluna, and City of Tahlequah v. Bond.
- A look ahead to 2025. Will the Supreme Court or Congress amend qualified immunity?
CLE Details: NYS CLE credit (transitional and non-transitional) in the area of Professional Practice (1.5 hours) and a general certificate of attendance will be provided upon request for all other jurisdictions.
Click Here to download the Attorney Affirmation Form “Hot Topics in Law Enforcement Liability under § 1983 – What Every Municipal Lawyer Should Know”
Live program recorded on April 25th, 2024 Program Description: Whether you are a defense lawyer or legal advisor, this webinar will help you to stay current on recent developments in police liability under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. First, Supreme Court review: recent and pending cases important to your practice. Then, what statistics really show about police-citizen encounters; and reforms everyone needs to know about: attempts to eliminate qualified immunity; consensus policies on use of force; where Fourth Amendment scrutiny and protection begin; de-escalation and use of force against emotionally disturbed subjects; chokeholds and neck restraints after George Floyd; the latest on shooting at vehicles and vehicular pursuits; the First Amendment and best practices on the use of force during protests and demonstrations; limitations on no-knock warrants after Breonna Taylor; and ending the Blue Wall: bystander officer duty to intervene. And finally, mastering damages: how to evaluate garden variety cases and reduce money damages in high profile cases with inflammatory facts. All this, plus links to resources you can use in your practice.
CLE Details: NYS CLE credit (transitional and non-transitional) in the area of Professional Practice (1.5 hours) and a general certificate of attendance will be provided upon request for all other jurisdictions.
Click Here to download the Attorney Affirmation Form Recordings of 2022 Programs:
“Police Liability under § 1983: Critical Steps for the Trial Lawyer”
Live program recorded on September 20th, 2022
Program Description: Whether you are on the plaintiff’s or the defense side, you must engage in critical decision-making through the life of a case. Be ready for the challenge. This practical webinar will take you through a high exposure death case and fifteen critical decisions you and your opponent will have to make, plus forms you can use in your practice. It has different content from another of our civil rights programs, “Anatomy of a False Arrest and Excessive Force Case under Section 1983,” which is a three-part workshop on how to litigate a high frequency § 1983 case based on a common fact pattern.
CLE Details: NYS CLE credit (transitional and non-transitional) in the area of Professional Practice (2 hours) and a general certificate of attendance will be provided upon request for all other jurisdictions.
Click Here to download the Attorney Affirmation Form
Three-part Workshop “Anatomy of a False Arrest and Excessive Force Case under § 1983”
[Part 1]: "Case Selection, Representation and Initial Pleadings"
[Part 2]: "Discovery, Evidence, and Motions Practice"
[Part 3]: "Pre-trial, Trial, and Post-Trial"
Live program recorded on March 23rd, 30th, and April 6th, 2022
Program Description: This workshop consists of three separate programs that can be viewed individually or together. In these practical programs based on a hypothetical fact pattern, you will learn how to bring or defend a high-frequency police liability case. Part I is titled “Case Selection, Representation, and Initial Pleadings.” You will learn how to select a winning plaintiff’s case, identify the legal claims and defenses, draft representation agreements for the plaintiff and defense, avoid conflicts of interest on the defense side, preserve records and evidence, interview police officer clients, and prepare your complaint or answer. Part II covers “Discovery, Evidence, and Motions Practice.” You will learn what files law enforcement creates, where they are kept, which ones to ask for and how the defense can protect them, a checklist of discovery the defense should obtain from the plaintiff, the top fifteen evidentiary issues for trial, how to present or limit the opinions of police practices experts, and the top ten motions for the plaintiff or defense to file. Part III is subtitled “Pre-trial, Trial, and Post-Trial.” You will learn how to evaluate your case, prepare for the final pre-trial conference and presentation of witnesses, pick the best jury, master examination and cross-examination of liability and damages witnesses, give memorable openings and closings, draft special jury instructions and verdict forms, handle the qualified immunity question at trial, protect the record for appeal, and prepare and defend attorney’s fee petitions. All three programs reference forms and other materials from the presenter’s book Police Misconduct: A Practitioner’s Guide to Section 1983.
CLE Details: NYS CLE credit (transitional and non-transitional) in the area of Professional Practice (1.75 hours for each session, 5.25 hours for all) and a general certificate of attendance will be provided upon request for all other jurisdictions.
Click Here to download the Part 1 Attorney Affirmation Form
Click Here to download the Part 2 Attorney Affirmation Form
Click Here to download the Part 3 Attorney Affirmation Form
“Law Enforcement Liability under § 1983 -- 2022 in Review”
Live program recorded on November 17th, 2022
Program Description: 2022 was another important year for § 1983 practitioners. This program will keep you current. Supreme Court update: Malicious Prosecution after Thompson v. Clark; Miranda warnings after Vega v. Tekoh; limits on Bivens actions in Egbert v. Boule; and two per curiam qualified immunity decisions. Then mastering non-deadly and deadly force, with discussion of the flight or flight response, de-escalation, failure to intervene, choke holds following George Floyd, shooting at vehicles, pursuits, and what is a seizure after Torres v. Madrid? The use of no-knock warrants after Breonna Taylor. The evidentiary use of police standards and model policies. Damages awardable in death cases. All this, plus links to resources to use in your practice.
CLE Details: NYS CLE credit (transitional and non-transitional) in the area of Professional Practice (2 hours) and a general certificate of attendance will be provided upon request for all other jurisdictions.
Click Here to download the Attorney Affirmation Form
Testimonials from 2022 Webinar attendees:
"Very thorough and applicable for the practitioner. [Wayne Beyer] is an excellent attorney, very knowledgeable about the subject matter. One of the best CLE's I have ever attended." -- Stacy C. Auzenne
"Very timely, great for anyone seeking information on this ever-changing topic. Mr. Beyer communicates the topics clearly with many practice tips. He really means it when he says we can contact him. He has very graciously helped me. I bought the book and I find it invaluable." -- James A. Yancey Jr.
"As always, a great presentation by [JURIS] and Wayne. I need to review it again." -- Muna B.
"Outstanding! Wish I had this when I was starting to practice in this field."
"I appreciate that he gave both sides of the trial."
"Best I have seen the last few years."
-- Comments from Anatomy of a False Arrest Workshop Series
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