Fundamentals of Investigative Report Writing teaches readers how to precisely construct investigative reports, whether for criminal, employment-policy, or employee-performance investigations. Dedicated to helping report-writers produce valuable extrinsic documentation, the book explains how to describe "what happened and why" in clear, concise terms. Topics include writing attitude and ethics, the "always" rules of writing, tips for conducting successful interviews, techniques for writing with precision, purposes and techniques for editing and proof-reading, and how to incorporate sketches, drawings, diagrams, and other visuals. The book also addresses considerations when writing United States Constitutional- based reports, as well as strategies involved in other forms of written communication such as e-mail, business letters, memoranda, and social media. This edition features a chapter devoted to performance evaluations that helps supervisors to be accurate, state things efficiently, insure the quality of the organization, and develop the employee. Each chapter includes learning objectives, chapter summaries, specific writing assignments, and a feature story related to the chapter's content-focus. Illustrations have been carefully selected to support the written text. Thoughtfully developed to set students and instructors up for success, Fundamentals of Investigative Report Writing is ideal for technical education programs in administration of justice, criminal justice, and law enforcement and courses on investigative and police report writing and report writing for criminal justice and law enforcement professionals.

This text deals with the basic concepts of the law and explains the operation of the law and the administration of justice. It features practical exercises at the end of each chapter to help the student develop the ability to analyse information and apply knowledge. Another feature is the appendixes in which step-by-step explanations are given of how to research and apply primary sources of the law such as statutes and decisions in court.

Legal Practice Technology and Law: Cases and Materials familiarizes readers with American Bar Association amended Model Rule 1.1 and added comment 8 in order to explain the risks of misusing technology in legal practice. The book teaches law students, as well as both newly minted and seasoned attorneys, how to avoid mistakes and the concomitant risk of suspension or disbarment. Readers learn the critical importance of staying current with the law and its practice regarding all legal-practice technologies. This casebook discusses common-law and statutory rules that state and federal courts employ to resolve law-office-technology disputes, particularly the legal and/or ethical actions of solo and small-firm attorneys against clients, allegedly third-party victims, state disciplinary boards, and the designers, manufacturers, suppliers, and providers of technological goods and services. Three important questions will be answered. Will virtual and technologically rich legal practices replace traditional brick-and-mortar law practices? What are the benefits and risks of solo practitioners' accelerated use of and reliance on law-practice technology? Can existing ethical rules be applied to resolve virtual-practice or law-office technology disputes? Thoroughly researched and expertly written, Legal Practice Technology and Law is ideal for courses that address the topic.

This fourth edition of the well-established practitioner text sets out what constitutes an electronic signature, the form an electronic signature can take, and discusses the issues relating to evidence - illustrated by analysis of relevant case law and legislation from a wide range of common law and civil law jurisdictions. Stephen Mason is a leading authority on electronic signatures and electronic evidence, having advised global corporations and governments on these topics. He is also the editor of Electronic Evidence and International Electronic Evidence, and he founded the international open-source journal Digital Evidence and Electronic Signature Law Review in 2004. This book is also available online at http://ials.sas.ac.uk/digital/humanities-digital-library/observing-law-ials-open-book-service-law.

A study has been completed evaluating how the Defense Criminal Investigative Organizations (DCIOs)1 act on allegations that a special agent is or has engaged in misconduct. This evaluation was announced on February 22, 1999, and the fieldwork took place during March 1999 through December 1999. The overall objective was to assess whether the DCIOs have adequate policies and procedures to govern the internal investigations they conduct when one of their special agents is accused or suspected of misconduct.

Innovation in legal services remains a hot topic, yet technology adoption does not always keep up with the hype. While there is a plethora of academic and professional research about the area, there is a lack of guidance on the practicalities of helping professionals actually get innovation right. This book focuses on implementing innovation and the innovation process in a law firm, from pilot to adoption and everything in between (whether that be within the law firm itself or undertaken by the law firm’s clients). Divided into four parts to reflect the innovation lifecycle of examine, explore, develop and reflect, this book is a practical guide for those starting or doing innovation in law firms. Students keen to know how innovation is implemented in practice will also find it useful. Innovation in Law Firms is packed with insight from the authors who lead the award-winning innovation team at Weightmans, and who have experience of starting innovation from scratch, as well as viewpoints ranging from the strategic, board-level perspective to the on-the-ground experience of actually doing innovation projects. It is practical rather than theoretical in style and aims to fill some of the adoption gap by exploring the highs and lows of innovating in law firms, and outlining practical steps that can be taken to mitigate some of the potential pitfalls. Whether at the start or part way through an innovation journey, this book allows readers to dip in and out providing guidance on specific issues as they arise as part of the innovation lifecycle.

Developed for introductory courses in argumentation and advocacy, Argumentation and Critical Thought: An Introduction to Advocacy, Reasoning, and Debate introduces students to argumentation as a theory and as a practice. It clearly explains key concepts of argumentation and places it within the context of the larger field of communication studies. The emphasis is on critical theory and rhetoric as ways to ground the practical elements of formal debate. This encompasses ethos, pathos, logos, critical theory, notions of subjectivity, and social change, all of which are addressed in the text. The text also addresses the canons of rhetoric, the Toulmin diagram, logic and reason, and competitive debate and strategic research. Each chapter includes targeted learning activities to support self-assessment, and enhance comprehension and retention. Argumentation and Critical Thought: An Introduction to Advocacy, Reasoning, and Debate makes its subject matter both accessible and challenging. The textbook's blend of theory and practice, fundamentals, and critical thinking, as well as its exploration of all the intricacies of argumentation and advocacy, make it an ideal teaching and learning tool for any undergraduate course in debate or critical thinking.