Class Descriptions

CEUs: N/A
Delivery Method: Online Cohort
Audience: USERRA Investigators

This required prerequisite course for 9605: USERRA Investigators is a four-week, online cohort. Weeks 1 and 2 have instructor oversight while weeks 3 and 4 are video based. Weeks 3 and 4 are the course 9643 and are, in almost all cases, part of the larger 9631 class. This, as detailed here, makes 9631 typically a 4-week long course. It will only be on rare occasions that 9631 will be only 2-weeks.

In week 1 you will cover written communication. As an investigator, your ability to communicate effectively through writing will have a significant impact on the rights of the people involved in your cases. The legal implications of investigative writing distinguish investigative writing from everyday writing. In week 1 you will identify strategies for effective case organization; identify the purpose of your writing; recognize how to write effectively to your audience; execute the Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion (IRAC) method; effectively use the active voice your writing; apply an appropriate tone to your investigative writing; and effectively edit your investigative writing.

In week 2 you will cover VETS Investigator Training Advanced Learning (VITAL). The purpose of this content is to provide USERRA Investigators with the most accurate information available in order to successfully conduct USERRA Investigations. At the end of week 2 you will identify the rules and regulations pertinent to USERRA Investigations; describe the USERRA subpoena process; explain comparative evidence/disparate treatment; identify best practices for face-to-face meetings and conferences; and explain issues related to responsible use of federal computers and equipment, how to protect and use privacy information, and the personal consequences of inappropriate use of private information or the loss of investigative records.

Finally, as noted, when combined with 9643 weeks 3 and 4 consist of pre-recorded videos and knowledge checks that are also used as the stand-alone course 9643: USERRA Introduction to Statute and Regulations – Interpretation and Application.