The Legal Officer advises Command and General Staff on legal authorities, liabilities, documentation requirements, and regulatory considerations that influence incident response operations. 

 Course Overview 

The Legal Officer course prepares emergency management and response personnel to serve effectively as Legal Officers within an Incident Management Team. The course focuses on integrating legal expertise into incident operations, supporting Command-level decision-making, advising on liability and regulatory requirements, and contributing to documentation, financial processes, and incident planning activities throughout the incident lifecycle. 

Who is this course for? 

• Agency attorneys supporting incident response operations. Corporate counsel assigned to Incident Management Teams.  
• Personnel serving or preparing to serve as Legal Officers during incidents or planned events.  
• Advisors responsible for legal coordination within ICS environments. 

Course objectives 

• Explain the roles and responsibilities of the Legal Officer within Incident Management Teams. 
• Describe how the Legal Officer integrates into ICS organizational structures and planning processes. 
• dentify legal authorities, policies, and regulatory requirements affecting incident operations. 
• Describe limitations and constraints associated with the Legal Officer role. 
• Support Command-level decision-making through legal analysis and documentation guidance. 
• Apply documentation and recordkeeping practices supporting incident operations. 
• Explain financial and contractual considerations including claims, procurement, and mutual aid agreements. 
• Describe insurance considerations during incident response. 
• Support coordination of information requests and releases. 
• Identify potential liabilities and legal considerations following incident operations. 
• Apply best practices that improve Legal Officer effectiveness during incident response. 
• Describe coordination requirements between the Legal Officer and Incident Management Team members. 

Delivery format 
Activities may include instructor-led training supported by facilitated discussion, legal coordination scenarios, planning process activities, documentation exercises, and asynchronous learning components.

Duration 

one day (8 hours) 

Recommended pre-requisite 

Please check with your organization or Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) to determine whether EMSI recommended pre-requisite completion is required. 

Successful completion of ICS-300 

Comparable courses 

none 

Next steps 

Open Enrollments options on IMT Gear 

Request Contact for Course information and/or Delivery Estimate