Professional association · Founding phase
One association for everyone whose work touches the case.
The officer who opens the investigation, the analyst who examines the evidence, the investigator who finds the witness, the attorneys who argue it, and the professionals who carry out the sentence. They share one system. USCLI is building the association they can share too.
The justice system doesn't work in silos. Its professional associations do.
Most professional associations in this field serve a single discipline: one for chiefs, one for attorneys, one for laboratory scientists, one for each state's investigators. Each does real work. None of them reflects how a case actually moves.
Cross-discipline work is already how justice operates. Federal task forces have paired agents, analysts, and prosecutors since the early 1980s. In the courtroom, every discipline converges: officers testify, forensic analysts present findings, prosecutors argue, and defense counsel tests every link in the chain.
USCLI exists to give those professionals a common standard of conduct, a common source of reliable information, and a place to learn from each other's work, without asking any of them to give up the discipline they belong to.
Six disciplines, one association
Each discipline has its own page describing the problems we hear from practitioners and what we intend to do about them.
Private investigators
Licensed PIs, corporate and insurance investigators, OSINT and fraud specialists working under fifty different state regimes.
InvestigatorsLaw enforcement
Officers, detectives, federal agents, and command staff whose training records rarely follow them between agencies.
Law enforcementLegal professionals
Prosecutors, defense attorneys, paralegals, and court staff whose cases depend on work done by every other discipline.
LegalForensic practitioners
Crime scene, laboratory, digital, and financial examiners whose findings must survive cross-examination.
ForensicsCorrections
Correctional officers, wardens, and probation and parole professionals who supervise the largest population in the system.
CorrectionsStudents and educators
Criminal justice students, cadets, and faculty who haven't chosen a single path, and shouldn't have to yet.
Students
- Integrity and truthfulness. Honest in every report, every statement, and every word of testimony, especially when the truth is inconvenient.
- Fidelity to the rule of law. Due process, equal protection, and the presumption of innocence are not obstacles to the work. They are the work.
- Impartiality. Equal dignity and equal treatment for every person, and a deliberate guard against bias in professional judgment.
- Accountability. Own the error, correct it, and support the oversight that keeps public trust earned.
- Respect across disciplines. No single profession holds a monopoly on justice; each plays an essential, complementary role.
What we are building
Each program is listed with its real status. Nothing here is for sale, and we don't take payments.
- In preparation
Rules Watch
A dated, sourced log of changes to private investigator statutes, rules, and board notices, starting with Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
- Open now
Practitioner conversations
Before we build anything else, we want to hear how you learn about rule changes and where professional support falls short.
- Published
Code of Conduct
The ethical standard every future member will be asked to uphold, across all six disciplines.
- Planned
Membership and mentorship
A cross-discipline membership with mentorship that pairs experienced practitioners with people earlier in their careers.
Common questions
Is USCLI a government agency?
No. USCLI is a private, independent organization. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any federal, state, or local government. Our name describes our subject matter, not any official status.
Does USCLI issue licenses, certifications, or CE credit?
No. Only state licensing authorities issue professional licenses. We do not currently offer certification, accreditation, or continuing-education credit, and nothing on this site should be read as conferring one.
Are payments to USCLI tax-deductible?
Contributions or gifts to USCLI are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. We are not accepting payments of any kind right now.
How can I get involved?
Write to contact@uscli.org. Tell us your discipline and state, what you wish existed, and whether you'd like to help shape a founding committee.