Police Forum

Sharon Fairley Related Seminars and Products

Unviersity of Chicago

Sharon Fairley is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and has taught at the Law School since 2015. She became a Professor from Practice and began teaching full-time at the law school in 2019. Sharon's teaching responsibilities include criminal procedure, evidence, policing, and federal criminal law.

Before joining the Law School, Professor Fairley spent eight years as a federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, investigating and trying criminal cases involving illegal firearms possession, narcotics conspiracy, bank robbery/murder, murder for hire and economic espionage, among other criminal acts. She also served as the First Deputy Inspector General and General Counsel for the City of Chicago Office of the Inspector General. In December 2015, following the controversial officer-involved shooting death of Laquan McDonald, Professor Fairley was appointed to serve as the Chief Administrator of the Independent Police Review Authority, the agency responsible for police misconduct investigations. She was also responsible for creating and building Chicago's Civilian Office of Police Accountability.

The focus of Professor Fairley's academic inquiry is criminal justice reform with an emphasis on constitutional policing and police accountability. She frequently writes and speaks about use of force by law enforcement, civilian oversight of law enforcement, and various police reform strategies.

Professor Fairley graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University with a BS degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and also holds an MBA in Marketing from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the Council on Criminal Justice.

Keith A. Karlson Related Seminars and Products

Police Benevolent Labor Committee

For more than 20 years Keith A. Karlson has been representing first responders and their unions. Keith serves as the Chief Legal Counsel for the Police Benevolent Labor Committee (“PBLC”). In both Illinois and Indiana, Keith has had success representing firefighters, police officers, and their unions in the courtroom, on appeal, at the bargaining table, and before administrative tribunals.

Keith has taught several seminars regarding administrative, statutory, and civil rights protections afforded public safety officers and their unions.  Mr. Karlson has taught university undergraduate and graduate level classes relating to civil liability for police officers, law for fire supervisors, and collective bargaining in the public sector. He has published several articles concerning labor law and the workplace rights of first responders.  In a seminal decision, Mr. Karlson successfully argued for recognition of a privilege protecting communications between a police officer and his/her union representative, a privilege previously not recognized in federal court.

Mr. Karlson is licensed to practice in Illinois and Indiana State Courts, the United States District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois (trial bar member), the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana, and the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Sixth and Seventh Circuits. In 2013, the Force Science Institute certified Mr. Karlson in the application of human factors to police use of force incidents. Later, he was also certified by the Force Science Institute regarding the use of body cameras and other police related recordings.

Since 2019, Keith has been designated by Super Lawyers. This peer designation is awarded only to a select number of accomplished attorneys in each state. The Super Lawyers selection process takes into account peer recognition, professional achievement in legal practice, and other cogent factors.

In November of 2024, Keith will be installed into the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.  Keith is honored to be elected to be a Fellow of the College.  Election as a Fellow is the highest recognition by one’s colleagues of sustained outstanding performance in the profession, exemplifying integrity, dedication, and excellence. 

Michael Kuczwara Jr. Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Laner Muchin

Michael joined Laner Muchin in 2015. He concentrates on representing public and private sector employers in numerous areas of labor and employment law, including collective bargaining negotiations, grievance and interest arbitrations. He also represents employers before administrative agencies such as the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Illinois Department of Labor. Additionally, he represents public employers in representation petitions and unfair labor practice charges filed before the Illinois Labor Relations Board and National Labor Relations Board.

Michael has tried fifteen jury trials to verdict, both in state and federal court, and he has successfully argued in the Illinois Appellate Court and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

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