Audrey J. Forbush

Representative Client Work

• Obtained summary judgment in federal court for officers involved in fatal shooting based on qualified immunity 
• Successfully defended police officers at trial in a false arrest/excessive force matter where the plaintiff sought over $4 million in compensatory and punitive damages
• Successfully defended a municipality at trial in a police pursuit case wherein two pedestrians were struck and killed by the fleeing felons
• Successfully represented municipal officials in federal court with regard to civil rights claims brought as a result of an alleged wrongful termination. Summary judgment was granted on all charges.
• Represented hospital on a medical malpractice wrongful death claim arising out of care and treatment of a diabetic patient. No cause jury verdict.
• Represented police officers in state and federal court who were accused of multiple civil rights violations and state law claims related to an arrest of a minor. Motions for summary judgment and summary disposition were granted in both venues.
• Represented municipality and police officials who were sued for violation of the Whistleblower Protection Act and sexual harassment. After extensive discovery, a motion for summary disposition was granted.

Professional Memberships

• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
• DRI (Professional / Code of Ethics Committee; Governmental Liability Committee)
• Law Enforcement Action Forum (LEAF)
• Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys
• State Bar of Michigan (Governmental Law Section, Chair, 2023 - 2024; Board of Directors, Vice President, 2022 - 2023; Treasurer, 2021 - 2022)
• Genesee County Bar Association

Publications and Lectures

• "Legal Update: Search & Seizure 2024," Co-presenter, Michigan Municipal League, Liability & Property Pool, Sept. 20, 2024
• "From Hook Up to Lock Up - Law Enforcement Liability Issues," Presenter, 24th Annual Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys/State Bar of Michigan Governmental Law Section Summer Educational Conference, June 21, 2024
• "Legal Update" Seminar, Presenter, Downriver Law Enforcement Agencies, February 2024
•  "1^st Amendment Auditors," Presenter, MAMA conference, September 2023
• “Harassment U” - We Major in Violating Employment Law Best Practices, Panelist, Plunkett Cooney's Labor & Employment Law Practice Group Seminar, Detroit Marriott Troy, Nov. 17, 2023
• "Legal Update - Search & Seizure 2023" Seminar, Presenter, LEAF and Michigan Municipal League Presentation, Romulus Senior Center, May 18, 2023
• “SCARE-tober: Urban Legends or Realities of the Workplace?,” Presenter, Plunkett Cooney's Labor & Employment Law Practice Group Seminar, Detroit Marriott Troy, Oct. 27, 2022
• "Fourth Amendment Legal Update" Seminar, Presenter, LEAF Presentation, September 2022
• "This Will Cost You!" Seminar, Presenter, MACP Winter Conference, February 2022
• "Legal Update" Seminar, Presenter, MACP, June 2021
• "Guns in the Workplace" Seminar, Presenter, Michigan Public Risk Management Association, November 2019
• "Do it Right the First Time - Handle Harassment Discrimination Complaints" Seminar, Presenter, LEAF, September 2019
• "Legal Update" Seminar, Presenter, Genesee County Sheriff's Department, September 2019
• "NextGen Medical Liability - Strategies, Tactics & Technology in the Millennial Age," Presenter, Plunkett Cooney's Medical Litigation Practice Group Seminar, Detroit Athletic Club, May 31, 2019
• "Walking the Line - Understanding 4th Amendment Limits & Protections for Searches by Law Enforcement," Presenter, Plunkett Cooney's Labor & Employment Law Practice Group Webinar, May 23, 2019
• "Correctional Law Update" Seminar, Presenter, LEORTC, October 2018
• "Ripped From the Headlines," Plunkett Cooney's Labor & Employment Law Practice Group Webinar, Oct. 11, 2018
• "Law Enforcement Civil Liability Management Rights" Seminar, Presenter, LEORTC, June 8, 2018
• "Things That go Bump in the Workplace," Presenter, Plunkett Cooney's Labor & Employment Law Practice Group Seminar, Detroit Athletic Club, Oct. 27, 2017
• "Police Internal Review Boards and Citizen Oversight," Presenter, MAMA/PCLS Summer Conference, June 2017
• "Guns in the Workplace," Co-presenter, MML Summer Conference, June 2017
• "Correctional Law Update," Presenter, Genesee County Sheriff Department, May 2017
• "Law Enforcement Civil Liability Management," Presenter, LEORTC, April 2017 and August 2016
• "Department of Justice's Focus on Police Treatment of Mentally Ill," Co-presenter, Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police Winter Conference, February 2017
• "Emergency Vehicle Liability," Panelist, MML Convention, March 2016
• "Police Body Cameras," Presenter, MML Fall Convention, September 2016
• "Correctional Law Update," Presenter, LEORTC, August 2016
• "Sexual Harassment: What is it? How to Prevent it, Co-Presenter, City of Woodhaven, September 2015
• "Issues About Police Recording," Co-Presenter, Law Enforcement Officers' Regional Training Consortium, August 2015
• "Hot Topic: Police Body Cameras," Presenter, Michigan Municipal League Conference, August 2015
• "What to do When you Hear the Whistle," Presenter, Michigan Local Government Management Association Summer Workshop, July 2015
• "Whistleblower and Retaliation Claims," Presenter, Michigan Municipal League Employment Law Seminar, Spring 2015
• "Whistleblower and Retaliation Claims," Presenter, Michigan Local Government Management Association Conference, July 2015
• "Normalization of Deviance in the Workplace – Enforcing policies and procedures/implementing discipline," Presenter, Thumb Area Managers (Thumb Nuts) Conference, June 2015
• "CLUELESS – The Cost & Consequence of Untrained Management," Presenter, Plunkett Cooney's Labor & Employment Practice Group Seminar, Troy Marriott Hotel, May 21, 2015
• "They are Killing Themselves out There," Co-Presenter, MACP Mid-Winter Vehicle Ops Conference, February 2015
• “Correctional Law Update,” Presenter, Law Enforcement Officers' Regional Training Consortium, January 2015
• "Wrongful Prosecution," Presenter, NLC-RISC, October 2014
• “Correctional Law Update,” Presenter, Law Enforcement Officers' Regional Training Consortium, October 2014
• "Fourth Amendment v Michigan State Law Evaluation of Use of Force," Presenter, Law Enforcement Action Forum, January 2013
• "How to Prevent Retaliation Claims," Presenter, Michigan Municipal League Employment Law Seminar, January 2013
• “Correctional Law Legal Update and Excited Delirium,” Presenter, Charlevoix County, October 2012
• “Use of Force – State Law (Odom) v. Constitutional Claims (Graham) and the Importance of the Different Standards,” Featured Speaker, Michigan Sheriff’s Association Annual Conference, Traverse City, October 2012
• “Admissions and Confessions and Constitutional Law,” Instructor, LEORTC Police Academy, Genesee County, September 2012
• “Michigan’s New Fireworks Law and Issues Relevant to Law Enforcement,” Presenter, MACP Conference, Boyne Highlands, June 2012
• “Correctional Law Update,” Presenter, Ludington, May 2012
• “Analysis & Opinion,” Presenter, Annual Saginaw County Manager’s meeting, April 2012 
• “Police Issues Facing Detroit,” Panel Member, Foreign Study FIANNA Group, April 2012
• “Correctional Law Update,” Presenter, Muskegon, April 2012
• “Correctional Law Legal Update,” Presenter, Muskegon, March 2012
• Michigan Association of Chief’s of Police Winter Conference, Featured Speaker, February 2012
• “Correctional Law Update,” Presenter, Genesee County, February 2012
• Excited Delirium Seminar, Presenter, LEORTC, January 2012
• “Correctional Law Legal Update,” Presenter, Saginaw County, December 2012
• "Sexual Harassment, Lies and Social Media Mock Trial," Presenter, Plunkett Cooney's Labor & Employment Law Practice Group's Seminar, Troy Marriott Hotel, Nov. 10, 2011
• LEAF Newsletter, Co-Author, quarterly publication on training issues in law enforcement