The US Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of The National Academies to conduct a workshop that would examine the interface of the medicolegal death investigation system and the criminal justice system. NIJ was particularly interested in a workshop in which speakers would highlight not only the status and needs of the medicolegal death investigation system as currently administered by medical examiners and coroners but also its potential to meet emerging issues facing contemporary society in America. Additionally, the workshop was to highlight priority areas for a potential IOM study on this topic. To achieve those goals, IOM constituted the Committee for the Workshop on the Medicolegal Death Investigation System, which developed a workshop that focused on the role of the medical examiner and coroner death investigation system and its promise for improving both the criminal justice system and the public health and health care systems, and their ability to respond to terrorist threats and events. Six panels were formed to highlight different aspects of the medicolegal death investigation system, including ways to improve it and expand it beyond its traditional response and meet growing demands and challenges. This report summarizes the Workshop presentations and discussions that followed them.

Arm yourself with the facts educators need to respond effectively when litigation is imminent! While jury trials are popularly construed as criminal matters, it is civil litigation that increasingly involves the participation of school educators. In recent instances, education leaders have been parties to, or participants in, legal cases ranging from employee discrimination to alleged criminal negligence. In response to this trend, legal experts and frequent consultants to attorneys Robert Shoop, a network news program regular on legal topics, and Dennis Dunklee, a 2005 participant in the Oxford University Roundtable on Education Law, have authored this indispensable text to arm educators with the essential information they need to understand and prepare for potential litigation. Five sections cover the legal basics necessary to: Understand the court and jury system Support and work effectively with attorneys Appreciate the nuances of litigation Reduce the potential risk of litigation by understanding and practicing preventive law Assist in the legal process by serving as an expert witness With this essential resource, educational leaders can learn how to prepare effectively, respond appropriately, and help achieve positive outcomes when faced with litigation.