Our short Public Safety Video Briefings will tackle cutting-edge issues and core principles relevant to public safety employers. We hope you find these videos useful and thought-provoking.

Paul D. Knothe
Paul Knothe is an associate in Liebert Cassidy Whitmore's Los Angeles office. Paul advises and represents clients in the areas of employment law and labor relations. Paul has extensive experience in handling employment litigation, grievance arbitrations, administrative hearings, and providing day-to-day legal counsel to clients.
Paul's litigation practice includes matters in state and federal courts, including appellate courts pertaining to alleged discrimination and retaliation, wage-hour issues, and issues surrounding collectively bargained Memoranda of Understanding; handling all aspects of litigation, from case assessment and pre-trial motion practice, through all forms of discovery proceedings, and settlement, to trial. Paul has litigated both class-action and single or multi-plaintiff employment matters.
Paul also regularly conducts thorough workplace investigations, with a focus on high-profile incidents or allegations against senior management personnel.
Prior to joining LCW, Paul practiced labor and employment law in both the public and private sectors.
Legislature, POST, and Community Colleges Still Have Homework to Do on New Minimum Education Standards for Peace Officers
AB 89, also known as the Peace Officers Education and Age Conditions for Employment, or “PEACE” Act, went into effect on January 1, 2022.
The most straightforward piece of that legislation was Government Code section 1031.4, which raises the minimum age for most peace officer employment from 18 to 21. This is a current requirement…
Public Safety Video Briefing: What to Expect from POST’s Delayed Bias Screening Regulations – January 2022
We are excited to announce a new video series designed especially to serve our public safety clients. Our short Public Safety Video Briefings will tackle cutting-edge issues and core principles relevant to public safety employers. We hope you find these videos useful and thought-provoking.
Keep Your Office Halloween Party from Becoming a Cauldron of Toil and Trouble
This article was originally published in October 2019. The information has been reviewed and is up-to-date as of October 2021.
Many workplaces and schools engage in Halloween celebrations, and with good reason. LCW is no exception:
However, Halloween parties can be scary for risk managers, as they carry the potential to put a few…
Public Safety Video Briefing: AB 1475 – Posting Booking Photos to Social Media – September 2021
We are excited to announce a new video series designed especially to serve our public safety clients. Our short Public Safety Video Briefings will tackle cutting-edge issues and core principles relevant to public safety employers. We hope you find these videos useful and thought-provoking.
Public Safety Video Briefing: Regulating Employee Speech: What Constitutes Workplace Disruption? – August 2021
We are excited to announce a new video series designed especially to serve our public safety clients. Our short Public Safety Video Briefings will tackle cutting-edge issues and core principles relevant to public safety employers. We hope you find these videos useful and thought-provoking.
Public Safety Video Briefing: First Amendment and Social Media – July 2021
We are excited to announce a new video series designed especially to serve our public safety clients. Our short Public Safety Video Briefings will tackle cutting-edge issues and core principles relevant to public safety employers. We hope you find these videos useful and thought-provoking.
Public Safety Video Briefing: Great Bodily Injury under SB1421 – June 2021
We are excited to announce a new video series designed especially to serve our public safety clients. Our short Public Safety Video Briefings will tackle cutting-edge issues and core principles relevant to public safety employers. We hope you find these videos useful and thought-provoking.
Public Safety Video Briefing: Second Interrogation under POBR after the Oakland Decision – May 2021
We are excited to announce a new video series designed especially to serve our public safety clients. Our short Public Safety Video Briefings will tackle cutting-edge issues and core principles relevant to public safety employers. We hope you find these videos useful and thought-provoking.
Peace Officer Certification Standards Have Changed, and Decertification is Likely on the Horizon
All California peace officers must meet initial standards set by the Commission on Police Officer Standards and Training (POST). Those standards have recently been expanded, and more change may be coming.
AB 846, effective January 1, 2021, modified Government Code section 1031 to require that a peace officer be free of bias against race or…