Qualified Immunity: Issues for Municipalities, Current Developments, and Emerging Trends

This CLE webinar will discuss current developments and emerging trends in the law of qualified immunity. The panel will offer an overview of how the doctrine developed, current federal and state jurisprudence, and how courts determine if a right is clearly established.  The panel will also discuss governmental liability under Monell.

Qualified immunity remains a legally recognized doctrine that protects individual government officers, including law enforcement, from claims for damages flowing from the official’s violation of the plaintiff's rights. If the plaintiff demonstrates the violation of a constitutional right, then the court must decide whether the right was “clearly established” at the time of the alleged violation.

The number of claims being asserted against municipal officials and law enforcement is rising, as are the types of rights allegedly being violated. The line between official and non-official actions continues to blur. Although government entities are generally not liable for actions of its employees under Section 1983, plaintiffs can pursue Monell claims by identifying a governmental policy or custom that caused the plaintiff’s injury.

Listen as our experienced panel discusses the latest trends and developments in qualified immunity jurisprudence.