Skip to main content
Add Me To Your Mailing List
HomeNLITE
NLITE_Top-Banner.png

Event Overview

Join us for the Newly Licensed Investigator Training & Education (NLITE), the cornerstone of CALI’s Professional Development Program. This comprehensive introductory course is essential for every new licensee aspiring to build a successful career as a Private Investigator in California.

NLITE offers a deep dive into the profession, covering everything from starting and operating a PI business to understanding the crucial laws and ethical considerations. Participants will gain practical knowledge and tools vital for thriving as a Private Investigator and business owner.


Training Outline

  • Starting Your PI Business
  • Professionalism and Ethics
  • California PI Laws, Practices and Problems
  • Attorney-Client and Work Product Privilege
  • Licensing Issues & Firearms
  • Invasion of Privacy
  • Contracting for Investigators
  • Report Writing & Testifying

 

Who Should Attend NLITE

 

This training is open to all new licensees in California. You do not need to be a CALI member to attend. We define a "new licensee" as anyone who has obtained a California PI license within 24 months prior to the training. Additionally, we welcome licensed out-of-state investigators with less than two years of experience.

Seats are limited.


NLITE_Photo1.png
NLITE_Photo2.png
NLITE_Photo3.png
NLITE_Photo4.png
EVENT DETAILS


When:  March 2025


Where:  Sacramento, CA


Location:  TBA


Schedule 
(subject to change)
8:30 am – 9:00 am  Registration & Continental Breakfast
Lunch
9:00 am – 4:30 pm  NLITE

Meet the Speakers



Frank W. Huntington, III, CPI
CALI President and
Past Chairman of the Board


Accordion Widget
Bio
Bio
Frank received his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from California State University, Sacramento in 1986. Shortly thereafter, he began working for a licensed private investigator and in 1992 obtained his own license. Frank specializes in criminal and civil investigations and is a certified professional investigator. Frank served as the CALI Chairman of the Board from 2010 through 2020 and currently is the Association President. He has served as the Legislative Day Chair since 2009. He is the proud recipient of the 2013 CALI Presidential Award, the 2015 Legislative Excellence Award, and in 2017, received the Distinguished Achievement Award.


Francie Koehler, CPI, CLI, CCDI
CALI Government Affairs Chair
and Past President


Accordion Widget
Bio
Bio
Francie Koehler has been conducting civil and criminal investigations since 1985. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ms. Koehler provides investigative services for attorneys from the private and public sector. As a licensed private investigator in California, her chief investigative focus is pre-trial and post-conviction criminal defense for both juvenile and adult defendants. Ms. Koehler is committed to the growth of the investigator profession and is an active member of both state and national associations. Her company, Special Circumstances, provides a variety of investigative services ranging from background searches, field investigations, pre-trial preparation to post-trial convictions.

Ms. Koehler’s cases have received attention from both television and print media. The TV show, Unsolved Mysteries, covered one of her cases. Crime authors Val McDermid and Anne Rule both wrote separately on two of Koehler’s cases. She can also be found weekly as host for PI’s Declassified! on Voice America Variety. The show is an internationally recognized internet radio program, designed to profile the role of the private investigator in the legal system.

Ms. Koehler is a past president of the National Council of Investigation & Security Services and of the California Association of Licensed Investigators (CALI). Awarded by both organizations for her work, she serves on their legislation committees and regularly testifies before the California State Legislature regarding bills concerning PI’s. She chairs CALI’s Government Affairs Committee and formerly chaired the same committee for the National Association of Legal Investigators. Ms. Kohler has been recognized by her state regulatory agency for outstanding service to her profession. She holds memberships in the Council for International Investigators, World Association of Detectives and California Attorneys for Criminal Justice. Also, Ms. Kohler works with the Innocence Project and is a Certified Conflict Mediator.


Chris Reynolds
CALI Past President



Accordion Widget
Bio
Bio
Chris Reynolds has been licensed as a Private Investigator in the State of California since 1979. After an apprenticeship working in a small law firm, Mr. Reynolds became, at 23 years old, one of the youngest licensed private investigators in California history. 

Since 1980, Mr. Reynolds has provided investigative services to civil and criminal defense attorneys throughout the United States. Since 1984, the firm has handled over 1200 complex workplace investigations for businesses, governmental agencies, and school districts. Mr. Reynolds has worked on 15 death penalty cases and over 100 homicide matters. 

Over the course of his career, Mr. Reynolds has conducted thousands of background investigations around the world, including in-depth due diligence investigations for venture capital firms and multi-national law firms.

Mr. Reynolds has been a CALI member since 1986, served on the Board of Directors for 20 years, and is a four-term CALI President and CALI Treasurer. Mr. Reynolds has been honored by CALI with the following awards:

February 2007:  CALI Investigator of the Year Award for achievements that resulted in a dismissal and an acquittal of two defendants charged with first-degree murder (separate cases).

March 2009:  CALI Legislative Excellence Award for work performed for CALI on legislative matters impacting the industry.

June 2014:  CALI Distinguished Achievement Award (DAA) for Mr. Reynolds overall achievements with CALI and the industry. The DAA is the most prestigious and significant award a member can earn.

Registration
NLITE is designed for all new licensees in California. Membership in CALI is not required for attendance. Eligibility includes any Private Investigator who obtained their California PI license within 24 months prior to the training date. Out-of-state investigators with less than two years of experience are also welcome.

Registration Fee
$100 for Members
$140 for Non-Members

The registration fee includes complimentary self-parking, continental breakfast, and lunch.

Please note that all registrations are subject to PI license verification and approval.

Special Accommodations
If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to participate in the training, please email the CALI office at info@cali-pi.org or call 949-715-5401 to discuss your accessibility needs. Please allow as much advance notice as possible to ensure we have ample opportunity to meet your needs.

NLITE Membership Discount

Participating in NLITE imposes no obligation on you to join CALI. However, if you decide to join, your first year’s membership dues would be at the Special NLITE rate of $150. Regular annual Active membership dues are $249.00. This NLITE discount is available to new members only and is not retroactive for current members.

Questions?
If you have questions regarding the NLITE registration criteria, please email Shannon Tulloss, Newly Licensed Investigator Training & Education Committee Chair.

Become an NLITE Sponsor
For sponsorship opportunities, please email Maria Lagunas for information or call 949-715-5401.