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Mark McQueary Related Seminars and Products

Director of Legal Affairs

The Metropolitan Alliance of Police

Mark S. McQueary is proud to serve as the director of legal affairs for the Metropolitan Alliance of Police. He concentrates his practice in the area of public safety labor and employment law, along with public sector pension law. Mr. McQueary has a breadth of experience in public safety labor relations and employment matters. His experience includes representing police officers and their unions in collective bargaining, grievance resolution, mediation, unfair labor practices and disciplinary hearings. Moreover, Mr. McQueary has been the lead attorney on numerous critical incidents involving the use of force and its subsequent investigation. In addition to his labor advocacy, He has extensive experience representing police and fire pension boards across Illinois.

He has presented on various pension topics across Illinois for both the Illinois Public Pension Fund Association (“IPPFA”) and Illinois Professional Firefighters’ Association (“IPFA”). In his career, Mr. McQueary has successfully represented police officers, firefighters, and their pension funds in Illinois Circuit Courts and the Illinois Appellate Court.

In addition to his work as an advocate, Mr. McQueary has taught several seminars regarding police and fire pension matters. Notably, Mr. McQueary has taught before the IPPFA and IPFA. He has also lectured at several seminars regarding statutory, administrative, and constitutional rights afforded to public safety employees. Mr. McQueary currently instructs for the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy (“SLEA”) on numerous legal topics. He is certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (“ILETSB”) to instruct in the following areas: Civil Rights and Civil Liability, Criminal Offenses in Illinois, Laws of Admission, Laws of Arrest, Search, and Seizure, Rights of the Accused, Rules of Evidence, U.S. Constitutional Authority, and Use of Force.

Mr. McQueary graduated with honors from Lewis University, earning a B.A. in Criminal/Social Justice. In addition, he earned a M.S. in Public Safety Administration from Lewis University. Mr. McQueary graduated cum laude from The University of Illinois Chicago School of Law earning a Juris Doctor.

Since 2000, Mr. McQueary has served as a full-time police officer with a municipal agency. During his career, he has worked as a patrol officer, field-training officer, gang unit officer, detective, and sergeant. At present, Mr. McQueary serves as a lieutenant/watch commander. Mr. McQueary is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association (“ISBA”) and the Appellate Lawyers Association (“ALA”). In 2016, the Force Science Institute certified Mr. McQueary on the principles of Force Science and the application of these principles to the analysis of use of force incidents. He is a graduate of Northwestern University Center for Public Safety—School of Police Staff and Command. Mr. McQueary was selected to the 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 Illinois Rising Stars list.

Mr. Cary Morgen Related Seminars and Products

Labor Arbitrator

Cary Morgen Labor Arbitration & Mediation Services, LLC

Melissa Sobota Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Franczek P.C.

Melissa concentrates her practice in both labor and employment law. Her labor experience includes collective bargaining for schools and higher education institutions, municipalities, and county employers. She has experience handling union certification petitions, severance petitions, as well as litigating unfair labor practice charges and grievances before the Illinois Labor Relations Board and Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. She has also advised employers on medical and insurance benefit plan issues in relation to contract negotiations and employee disputes.

Her employment practice includes the defense of employers against discrimination cases filed state court, the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. She has also defended employers before the City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations, the Illinois Department of Labor, the Illinois Human Rights Commission, and the Illinois Labor Relations Board.

Her higher education practice includes negotiating collective bargaining agreements, as well as handling grievance arbitrations, unfair labor practice charges, and representation petitions before the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board and National Labor Relations Board on behalf of colleges and universities.

Prior to private practice, Melissa worked with the corporation counsel of the City of Chicago in the Labor Division and defended the City in grievance arbitrations regarding contract disputes, discipline, and medical and benefits plans.

Melissa is a member of the American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section), the Illinois State Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section), and the Illinois Public Employer Labor Relations Association.