Why you should attend
Section 1983 authorizes private individuals to enforce their federal constitutional rights against state and local officials, and is one of the most vital areas in American law. Although the original version of the statute dates back to 1871, Section 1983 litigation continues to generate new issues and difficult applications of established principles. The courts continually render a large volume of important decisions in Section 1983 actions.
At PLI’s 30th Annual Section 1983 Civil Rights Litigation program, a highly experienced and accomplished faculty will analyze recent Section 1983 litigation developments from both doctrinal and practical litigation perspectives. The faculty includes a highly experienced federal court judge, a law school Dean, legal scholars, and plaintiff and defendant practitioners.
What you will learn
- In-depth review of the Supreme Court’s October 2012 Term and preview of the new Term
- Municipal liability update and its relationship to officer liability
- Prosecutorial immunity
- Section 1983 stop and frisk litigation
- Excessive force claims – focusing on use of Tasers, mace, and pepper spray
Who should attend
This program is for experienced attorneys working in Section 1983 litigation who need to stay up-to-date on the most recent developments.
PLI Group Discounts
Groups of 4-14 from the same organization, all registering at the same time, for a PLI program scheduled for presentation at the same site, are entitled to receive a group discount. For further discount information, please contact membership@pli.edu or call (800) 260-4PLI.
PLI Can Arrange Group Viewing to Your Firm
Contact the Groupcasts Department via email at groupcasts@pli.edu for more details.
Cancellations
All cancellations received 3 business days prior to the program will be refunded 100%. If you do not cancel within the allotted time period, payment is due in full. You may substitute another individual to attend the program at any time.
All times are E.D.T.
Morning Session: 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (E.D.T.)
9:00 Opening Remarks and Introduction
Professor Martin A. Schwartz
9:15 Supreme Court Review
Overview of the October 2012 Term, the Equality Decisions (gay marriage, affirmative action, and voting rights), Freedom of Speech, and Privileges and Immunities.
Presenters: Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, Professor Martin A. Schwartz
Commentators: Professor Karen M. Blum, Professor Leon Friedman, Celeste Koeleveld
10:15 Networking Break
10:30 Supreme Court Review (continued) and Preview of the New Term
Fourth Amendment searches (DNA samples, alcohol blood testing, and police dogs), Fifth Amendment limitations on police interrogations, Takings Claims, Title VII causation, and preview of the new Term.
Presenters: Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, Professor Martin A. Schwartz
Commentators: Professor Karen M. Blum, Professor Leon Friedman, Celeste Koeleveld
11:30 Municipal Liability: Relationship between Municipal Liability and Officer Liability
A review of the various bases for imposing municipal liability, with an emphasis on custom and practice, training and supervision, municipal inaction, municipal enforcement of state law, and recent decisions concerning the relationship between municipal liability and officer liability.
Presenter: Professor Karen M. Blum
Commentators: Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, Professor Leon Friedman, Celeste Koeleveld
12:30 Lunch
Afternoon Session: 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (E.D.T.)
1:30 Prosecutorial Immunity
- The Supreme Court Decisional Law
A comprehensive review of the Supreme Court decisions governing prosecutorial immunity.
Presenter: Dean Erwin Chemerinsky
- Recent Circuit Court Developments
Presenter: Professor Martin A. Schwartz
Commentators: Frederick K. Brewington, Professor Leon Friedman, Celeste Koeleveld, Hon. Arlene Rosario Lindsay, Professor Theodore M. Shaw
2:30 Networking Break
2:45 Section 1983 Challenges to Stop and Frisks (including profiling)
- Fundamental Fourth Amendment and Equal Protection Principles
Presenter: Dean Erwin Chemerinsky
- Floyd v. City of New York: The Issues
A discussion, from various perspectives, of the issues involved in Floyd v. City of New York, (S.D.N.Y.)( a systemic challenge to police stop and frisk practices in New York City).
Presenter: Celeste Koeleveld
Commentators: Frederick K. Brewington, Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, Professor Leon Friedman, Hon. Arlene Rosario Lindsay, Professor Martin A. Schwartz, Professor Theodore M. Shaw
4:00 Excessive Force Claims; Emphasis on Medium Level Force – Mace, Pepper Spray and Tasers: The Law, Police Practices, and Police Training
- Review of the law, police practices, and police training on use of medium level force and mace, pepper spray, and Tasers, with practices illustrated by videotaped material.
- Analysis of recent circuit court decisions
Presenters: Jack Ryan
Commentators: Frederick K. Brewington, Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, Hon. Arlene Rosario Lindsay, Professor Theodore M. Shaw
Chairperson(s)
Speaker(s)
Dean Erwin Chemerinsky ~ Dean and Distinguished Professor of Law, University of California, Irvine School of Law
Professor Leon Friedman ~ Joseph Kushner Distinguished Professor of Civil Liberties Law, Hofstra University School of Law, Law Office of Leon Friedman
Celeste Koeleveld ~ Executive Assistant Corporation Counsel for Public Safety, New York City Law Department; Adjunct Professor, Columbia Law School
Jack Ryan ~ Legal & Liability Risk Management Institute
Professor Theodore M. Shaw ~ Professor of Law, Columbia Law School; Of Counsel, Norton Rose Fulbright;, Former Director-Counsel & President, NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc.
Program Attorney(s)
PLI makes every effort to accredit its Live Webcasts. Please check the CLE Calculator above for CLE information specific to your state.
PLI's Live Webcasts are approved for MCLE credit (
unless otherwise noted in the product description) in the following states/territories: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho*, Illinois, Indiana
1, Iowa*, Kansas*, Kentucky*, Louisiana, Maine*, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire*, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York
2, Ohio
3, Oklahoma, Oregon*, Pennsylvania
4, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia
5, Virgin Islands, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming*.
*PLI will apply for credit upon request.
Arizona: The State Bar of Arizona does not approve or accredit CLE activities for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education requirement.
Arkansas and Oklahoma: Audio-only live webcasts are not approved for credit.
1Indiana: Considered a distance education course. There is a 6 credit limit per year.
2New York: Newly admitted attorneys may not take non-transitional course formats such as on-demand audio or video programs or live webcasts for CLE credit. Newly admitted attorneys not practicing law in the United States, however, may earn 12 transitional credits in non-traditional formats.
3Ohio: To confirm that the live webcast has been approved, please refer to the list of Ohio’s Approved Self Study Activities at http://www.sconet.state.oh.us. Online programs are considered self-study. Ohio attorneys have a 6 credit self-study limit per biennial compliance period. The Ohio CLE Board states that attorneys must have a 100% success rate in clicking on timestamps to receive ANY CLE credit for an online program.
4 Pennsylvania: A live webcast may be viewed individually or in a group setting. Credit may be granted to an attorney who views a live webcast individually. There is a 4.0 credit limit per year for this type of viewing. A live webcast viewed in a group setting receives live participatory credit if the program is open to the public and advertised at least 30 days prior to the program. Live webcasts viewed in a group setting that do not advertise at least 30 days prior the program will be considered "in-house", and therefore denied credit.
5Virginia: All distance learning courses are to be done in an educational setting, free from distractions.
Running time and CLE credit hours are not necessarily the same. Please be aware that many states do not permit credit for luncheon and keynote speakers.
Note that some states limit the number of credit hours attorneys may claim for online CLE activities, and state rules vary with regard to whether online CLE activities qualify for participatory or self-study credits. For more information, refer to your state CLE website or call Customer Service at (800) 260-4PLI (4754) or email: info@pli.edu.
If you have already received credit for attending some or the entire program, please be aware that state administrators do not permit you to accrue additional credit for repeat viewing even if an additional credit certificate is subsequently issued.