Tuesday morning’s plenary session discussed the ins and outs of applying your engineering judgment in a world where it is increasingly common to rely on standards, guidance’s, and handbooks in order to avoid liability issues. Led by Robert Wunderlich, the experienced panelists discussed their views on the need for creativity and engineering judgment when solving engineering challenges that aren’t textbook cases. This lively session discussed the benefits of standards, recommended practices, and handbooks, while pointing out that these resources do leave room and flexibility for engineering judgment. That judgment is crucial for problem solving situations with unique circumstances that require a tailored solution. Due to liability concerns, designers are often cautious about exercising this judgment and flexibility in their plans. It can be difficult for a designer to step out of his or her comfort zone and decide on a better design than what’s proposed in a guidebook. However, engineers are in their profession because they are skilled at problem solving, and we can’t let those skills go to waste. Look for ITE to produce more information on this important topic in the coming months!