THE LAW

INTERNAL AFFAIRS

Competent internal affairs attorneys will be able to handle everything from critical incident interviews to decertification hearings. In some jurisdictions, they may have also represented the labor side in collective bargaining negotiations. In short, if it has to do with department discipline, decertification, or work-related negotiation--internal affairs attorneys listed in the CODE-TWO directory must be prepared to handle it. Many of you belong to organizations that offer legal plans to cover the cost of an internal affairs attorney. As such, understand the claims process so that the attorney can get involved as soon as possible. Internal affairs attorneys are an important component to your legal team and most of you will need to use one at least once during your career.

WORKERS' COMPENSATION

Workers' compensation attorneys are invaluable to the law enforcement community for the simple reason that work-related injuries are part of the job description. On any given shift, you may be required to navigate patrol areas at high speed, fire your weapon and be fired upon, engage in foot pursuits, lift heavy objects, and otherwise deal with environmental elements. Officers get hurt and they get hurt again. The complexities of workers' compensation law makes it is fairly easy to misunderstand your rights; therefore, be proactive. Understand the system in place in your state, and speak to an attorney whenever you have to miss work because of a work-related injury or are otherwise confused about your benefit rights.

EMPLOYMENT LAW

Attorneys who focus on employment law are competent in a variety of areas, including overtime law, workplace discrimination, medical leave and disability, wrongful termination, unemployment compensation rights, and a host of other state and federal laws that define the legal relationship between a department and its officers. If the legal issue involves something other than collective bargaining, critical incidents, or decertification, then chances are that it is a question that needs to be considered by an employment law attorney.

PERSONAL INJURY

Forget about billboards, television commercials, and the "ambulance chaser" cliché. Most attorneys who practice personal injury law understand the insurance game and have a keen understanding as to how juries in your jurisdiction are valuing specific claims. Ironically, a good percentage of law enforcement officers who go to law school become personal injury lawyers. Why? Personal injury lawyers do exactly what you do--they figure out who is at fault. They are also plugged into local and national associations where specific areas of the law are discussed, judges evaluated, and legal theories debated. Simply stated, they know how to value a case regardless as to whether it is a dog bite, car accident, or products liability class action. Anytime you are physically injured by a third party, on the job or not, representation by a personal injury attorney is almost always in your best interest.

FAMILY LAW

Some say that the stress and hours of a law enforcement career do not necessarily coincide with marital bliss. Others will say that the divorce rate of law enforcement officers is no different than society as a whole. Either way, you may need to terminate your marriage or defend the case against you for such termination. Perhaps your ex-spouse is not following the custody arrangement or maybe you need a will drafted. Welcome to the world of family law. Family law attorneys understand that marriage is, in many cases, an easy in-difficult out situation. They also understand that a host of property laws may apply to your situation, custody rights, and support obligations. Family law is normally charged high with emotion and the good attorneys who practice in this area vigorously protect your rights and work to keep you emotionally grounded. If your ex-spouse to be has a lawyer, you need one too.

BANKRUPTCY

Departmental cutbacks, declining property values, excessive credit debt, and other finance-related-issues are wreaking havoc on the law enforcement community. Officers did not receive a government bailout; therefore, in some situations it may be necessary to follow the lead of General Motors and seek bankruptcy protection. Bankruptcy attorneys know how to protect the rights of debtors in a variety of situations in order to make sure that a fresh start is the ultimate outcome. The bottom line is that there is no shame in bankruptcy. It is your Constitutional right to pull this trigger if necessary and attorneys who practice bankruptcy law understand how to protect you.

GENERAL PRACTICE

Registered members of CODE-TWO have asked us numerous questions of a general legal nature. Most of the questions involve creating corporate entities and establishing political action committees. We have also received questions related to trademarks, copyrights and other basic intellectual property matters. Other questions involve real estate disputes, neighbor problems, consumer rights, and contract litigation. Attorneys with a general practice preference have seen it all and handle most of what they see. If the legal question involves something different than a specific practice area, then contact a general practice attorney for help.

CRIMINAL LAW

On most occasions, law enforcement officers work for the "good side" in the prosecution of criminals. Officers, however, are not immune to criminal prosecution. As most of you already know, private criminal defense attorneys are well versed in the rules of evidence, understand the prosecutor's high burden of proof, and most are plea bargain and jury trial veterans. The income rules related to public defender assignments will likely disqualify law enforcement officers and their families; therefore, it may be necessary to hire a private lawyer to defend you or a member of your family.