PRLog recently reported that The SMILE (Social Media in Law Enforcement) Conference, which will take place in April 7-9, 2010, in Washington. The gathering at the historic 1777 F St. NW building across from the White House will be the first social media conference for law enforcement professionals.

The conference will provide knowledge and technical training so that law enforcement officers can enter the social media world with confidence.  The meeting is significant in that that it shows how prevalent social media has become.  Speakers include members of the Boca Raton, Fla., Toronto and Dutch police forces, plus consultants and writers.

Among the session topics:

• Adapting to the New Media Era
• Use of Social Media in Proactive Investigations
• Using the Internet and Social Media to Prevent Violence
• The Other Side of the Coin: Understanding Social Media Attacks and How to Respond to Them
• UK Policing 2.0. – The Citizen and Digital Engagement

Law enforcement officials are not the only members of the courts system to study social media. At the end of February 2010, the law firm of Arnstein & Lehr held an online session on the proper way to use social media.  It's becoming a tool both in and out of work and is so now popular that more and more employers are conducting training on it and professionals are holding conferences like SMILE.