CLEARinghouse Chats - Virtual Collaboration for the Regulatory Community

CLEARinghouse Chats are a valued member benefit, offering CLEAR members a space to collaborate, stay connected, and engage in timely and relevant regulatory discussions.

This Chat session will focus on Modern Regulatory Investigations: Bias, Evidence, and Evolving Practice.
Regulatory investigators and inspectors play a critical role in upholding public protection, often navigating complex complaints, evolving technologies, and nuanced questions about professional conduct. Recent discussions across jurisdictions have highlighted key challenges, including recognizing and mitigating investigative bias, strengthening evidence-based investigative approaches, adapting interview techniques, and addressing emerging issues such as the use of AI and complaints involving off-duty or non-regulated behavior. This chat will explore how investigators are refining their practices, sharing practical strategies, and responding to shifting expectations around fairness, evidence, and accountability.

This Chat session will consider questions to encourage member conversation:

• What are effective strategies for recognizing and mitigating bias throughout the investigative process, from intake to resolution?
• How do you structure an evidence-based investigative progression, and what practices help ensure consistency and defensibility in your work?
• What interview techniques have you found most effective in recent years, particularly in complex or sensitive cases?
• How are you approaching the use of AI in investigations, and what evidentiary challenges have arisen with AI-generated or AI-assisted material?
• How do you navigate cases involving off-duty conduct, such as social media activity or non-regulated behavior, and what factors influence whether regulatory action is appropriate?  

We’ll invite open discussion and sharing among the group. Breakout rooms are moderated by members of CLEAR's Education and Training committee. Participants are encouraged to turn on webcams/microphones and share information about what is happening in your jurisdictions. Please join us to exchange insights and practical approaches to modern investigative work in regulation.