Professional Ethics, Conduct, and Reporting
Domain focus
This domain tests the PI's fiduciary and professional duties: loyalty to the client, fairness to the subject, confidentiality, and reports that a court or Board can rely on.
Core duties
Represent the client's lawful interest, not the investigator's curiosity. Disclose conflicts-prior work for the opposing party, a personal relationship, or a financial stake. Keep client confidences, and do not use one case's information in another. Bill accurately; no unauthorized expenses or contingent fees that reward a particular finding. Do not give legal advice or draft legal documents.
Report writing
Write in chronological order with dates, times, places, and sources. Label each statement as observed, reported, or inferred. Use neutral language: "subject's speech was slurred and her eyes were bloodshot" instead of "subject was intoxicated." Include negative results and exculpatory information; omitting them undermines credibility. Attach exhibits by number and describe the chain of custody. Sign and date the report, and retain the file under the Board's record rules.
Testimony and disclosure
Testify to what you did and saw; do not overstate. Correct errors promptly. Produce records when lawfully subpoenaed, but assert confidentiality where appropriate and notify the client unless prohibited.
Worked example
A report states: "The subject was drunk and fled." Better: "At 2140 hours the subject walked unsteadily, had slurred speech, and entered a silver sedan. The vehicle left northbound on Main Street." The second version separates observation from conclusion, fixes time and direction, and avoids a contested legal label.
Traps
Opinions dressed as facts; omitting unfavorable findings; discussing a case in public; using a client's file for marketing without consent; inflating hours; claiming official authority in a report.