Now in its fourth edition, Child Welfare Law and Practice is a cornerstone resource for attorneys, advocates, and professionals working in child welfare. Initially designed as a study guide for attorneys preparing for the Child Welfare Law Specialist certification exam, the book has grown into an essential reference for child welfare advocates in every state, offering in-depth analysis and practical instruction on issues central to representing children, parents, and agencies in neglect, abuse, and dependency matters.
The new digital edition brings NACC’s authoritative content to PLI’s digital platform, making the resource more searchable, accessible, and practical for today’s professionals. Readers will be able to search the full text, bookmark key sections, take notes, highlight important passages, access cited materials through hyperlinks, and consult the book wherever their work takes them.
“PLI is proud to partner with NACC to expand access to this trusted resource for professionals serving children and families,” said Alexa Robertson, Vice President, PLI Press. “NACC’s mission to advance high-quality legal representation and advocacy for children and families inspires this work. Making The Red Book available through PLI’s digital platform reflects our shared commitment to providing practitioners with practical, authoritative guidance that supports better outcomes for those they serve.”
Since 1977, NACC has prioritized creative ways of delivering vital updates to child welfare professionals. The fourth edition of Child Welfare Law and Practice reflects the contributions of both new and experienced practitioners and child welfare advocates, offering updated guidance and analysis for those who make child welfare advocacy their priority.
“NACC is thrilled to make Child Welfare Law and Practice available digitally for the tireless advocates who pursue justice alongside children and families,” said Kim Dvorchak, JD, CEO of the National Association of Counsel for Children. “We are glad attorneys and judges will be able to search the entire book, reach citations by link, and access our cornerstone child welfare law publication wherever they are. NACC is grateful to PLI for their partnership in helping practitioners get this essential resource.”
Child Welfare Law and Practice is available digitally through PLI. For more information and to order your copy, visit pli.edu/NACC.
About the National Association of Counsel for Children
Founded in 1977, the National Association of Counsel for Children is a non-profit professional membership and advocacy organization dedicated to advancing justice for children, youth, and families. NACC provides programs, training, certification, and resources that improve the quality of legal representation for children, parents, and agencies; supports a community of dedicated professionals and helps attract diverse talent in the children's legal advocacy profession; and advocates for policies that advance children's rights, including the right to counsel. See NACCchildlaw.org.
About Practising Law Institute (PLI)
Founded in 1933, Practising Law Institute (PLI) is a nonprofit learning organization dedicated to keeping attorneys and other professionals at the forefront of knowledge and expertise. PLI provides accredited continuing legal and professional education programs delivered by more than 4,000 volunteer faculty, including top experts across practice areas. Additionally, PLI publishes a comprehensive library of treatises, course handbooks, answer books, and journals, also available through the PLI PLUS online platform and app. The essence of PLI’s mission is a commitment to the access to justice community. Based in New York, PLI also has an office and Conference Center in San Francisco. Visit www.pli.edu to learn more.
Mladen Stojic is Chief Technology Officer for Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial for Octave.
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In mission-critical industries, complexity can quickly turn into risk. When conditions shift by the minute and decisions carry real consequences, the difference between effective action and hesitation often comes down to having a clear, shared view of what's happening.
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Operating without that visibility is like navigating through dense fog without reliable instruments. When you can't see what's ahead and have nothing to guide you, hesitation and risk are inevitable.
In practice, this can look like a rail operator responding to a disruption, an emergency team coordinating across agencies or a utility managing an outage. In each case, teams are working against the clock, often with incomplete or disconnected information.
Smarter, more connected operational systems can help cut through that uncertainty. By improving how information is shared and understood across teams, organizations can respond with greater clarity and confidence. The goal isn't to add more data but to organize information into something usable and actionable.
As operational complexity continues to increase, the challenge becomes less about access to data and more about making sense of it in the moments that matter.
Complexity is increasing—and so is the need for clarity.
In industries such as transportation, the mission remains the same: Keep people safe, systems running and services reliable. What's changed is the speed, scale and fragmentation of the information needed to support those outcomes.
Transportation agencies now manage aging infrastructure, expanding networks and rising public expectations simultaneously. Many operate across a mix of legacy systems and newer technologies, creating environments that are difficult to interpret in real time.
At the same time, sensors, surveillance systems and external data feeds generate continuous streams of input. When these remain siloed, teams are forced to manually piece together information, slowing response times and increasing cognitive load during critical moments.
Similar dynamics exist across public safety, utilities, defense and other mission-critical sectors. As systems grow more complex, maintaining a clear, shared operational picture becomes both more difficult and more essential.
Leaders are asking for faster, more reliable answers instead of more data.
In fast-moving environments, timing matters as much as accuracy. A delayed insight (even if correct) can arrive too late to be useful. Technologies such as AI can support this shift by helping teams prioritize what matters and understand what to do next.
However, insight alone isn't enough. For information to be useful, it must be understood in context—where something's happening, how situations are evolving and which resources are affected. When data is tied to location and time, it becomes easier to identify priorities and coordinate action.
Trust also plays a central role. Teams must be confident that the information they're acting on reflects current conditions and is grounded in reliable data. Over time, consistent accuracy and transparency build that trust within organizations and with the public they serve.
How can organizations begin the transition to smarter systems?
While the case for improved visibility is clear, the path forward is often less so. For many organizations, the challenge is knowing how to start. Below are practical steps mission-critical organizations can take to begin building more effective, connected operations:
1. Start with operational outcomes, not technology.
Rather than beginning with tools or platforms, organizations should first define the outcomes they need to improve—such as faster incident response, better coordination across agencies or improved service reliability.
Focusing on outcomes helps ensure that any investments in technology directly support operational priorities rather than adding unnecessary complexity.
2. Identify and reduce information silos.
Many organizations already have the data they need, but it's spread across disconnected systems. Mapping where critical information resides and who has access to it can highlight gaps that slow decision making.
Breaking down silos doesn't always require replacing existing systems. In many cases, it starts with improving how systems connect and share information.
3. Prioritize real-time visibility where it matters most.
Not all data needs to be real time. Organizations should focus on the areas where timing has the greatest operational impact, such as incident response, asset monitoring or service disruptions.
Investing in real-time awareness in these areas can deliver immediate value without overwhelming teams with unnecessary information.
4. Build around the needs of the people using the system.
Technology is only effective if it supports how teams actually work. Front-line operators, dispatchers and decision makers should be involved early in the design process to ensure systems align with real workflows.
Clear, intuitive interfaces and actionable insights are often more valuable than complex features.
5. Establish data trust and governance early.
Confidence in data is essential in mission-critical environments. Organizations should define how data is sourced, validated and maintained, ensuring transparency around its accuracy and timeliness.
This includes setting clear standards for data quality and making it easy for users to understand where information comes from.
6. Take an incremental approach.
Large-scale transformation can be difficult to execute all at once. Many organizations see success by starting with targeted use cases—such as improving visibility during specific types of incidents—and expanding from there.
Early wins can help build momentum and demonstrate value across the organization.
7. Strengthen coordination across teams and jurisdictions.
Operational clarity depends on collaboration. This often requires aligning processes, communication protocols and data-sharing practices across teams that may not traditionally work closely together.
Improving coordination can be just as impactful as introducing new technology.
It's time to take a more deliberate path forward.
The goal isn't simply to adopt new technology but to become more intentional in how organizations coordinate across teams and respond to changing conditions.
Smarter systems play an important role, but their impact depends on how the people who rely on them implement, integrate and trust them. Organizations that take a structured, outcome-focused approach will be better positioned to improve clarity, reduce risk and respond effectively in the moments that matter most.
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"Choosin' Texas" ties tunes by Post Malone, 21 Savage and Desiigner with a fourteenth week at No. 1 on Billboard's Streaming Songs chart. NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 08: EDITORIAL USE ONLY. Ella Langley performs on the Chevy Riverfront stage during day four of CMA Fest 2025 on June 08, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images)
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Getty Images
Ella Langley claims the No. 1 song in America again this week with "Choosin' Texas." The track is not only the country musician's biggest hit, but one of the most successful smashes of the past several years.
On multiple Billboard rankings, "Choosin' Texas" ranks as one of the longest-running leaders. In fact, when it comes to both sales and streams, only a handful of compositions have ruled rosters that focus on those two consumption methods for longer stretches than "Choosin' Texas," which is nowhere near done with its winning streak.
As "Choosin' Texas" once again stands out as the most-played track of any style on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and several other similar platforms in the U.S., it advances on the ranking of the tunes that have led the Streaming Songs chart most frequently, matching a pair of hip-hop giants.
"Choosin' Texas" Matches Two Hip-Hop Giants
"Choosin' Texas" has now spent 14 of its 38 weeks on the Streaming Songs chart at No. 1. Langley's cut is tied with "Panda" by Desiigner and "Rockstar" from Post Malone and 21 Savage, and the three jointly claim the honor of being the fifth-longest-running champions of all time on the genre-agnostic rundown. "Panda" reached the peak position a decade ago, while "Rockstar" hit No. 1 on the Streaming Songs register the following year.
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"Choosin' Texas" Passes Four Massive Hits
Last week, "Choosin' Texas" matched the 13-period run in the highest space on the Streaming Songs chart that four massive hits managed. "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus, "Fancy," a collaboration between Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX, Roddy Ricch's "The Box," and "We Don't Talk About Bruno," the shockingly successful hit from Disney's Encanto – credited to Adassa, Carolina Gaitán, Diane Guerrero, Mauro Castillo, Rhenzy Feliz, Stephanie Beatriz and the entire Encanto cast – all racked up a lucky 13 turns in the peak position before backtracking.
Mariah Carey Holds The All-Time Streaming Chart Record
It will be months before Langley has a shot at tying the all-time record held by Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You." Starting in 2019, and continuing into the earliest months of this year, the holiday hit – which has become one of the longest-running No. 1s of all time on multiple rosters published by Billboard – stands out as the only track to spend half a year, 26 weeks, on top of the Streaming Songs rundown.
The only other tune with 20 or more frames in charge is "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus. That track coincidentally reached the top spot the same year that "All I Want for Christmas Is You" finally conquered the list.
Morgan Wallen's "Last Night," with 19 stints in the peak position, trails "Old Town Road" by just one frame. "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, and Justin Bieber ruled for 16 weeks, beginning in 2017. "Choosin' Texas" could very well tie "Despacito," but whether it will be able to hang on for another month and match, and then potentially even pass, Wallen's longest ruler is difficult to predict.
"Choosin’ Texas" Commands Sales and Streams Lists
Streams are one of the three metrics that fuel the Billboard Hot 100, and notably, "Choosin' Texas" commands another one of the consumption rosters that eventually build the most competitive song tally in the nation. For a twelfth nonconsecutive period, "Choosin' Texas" ranks as the bestselling release in the country. It is one of only nine compositions to lead the charge for that long, and as it remains in first place, "Choosin' Texas" breaks out of a tie with "Happy" by Pharrell Williams.
The country cut has now topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a lucky 13 frames, making it one of the longest-running rulers of all time by a solo female artist with no groups or male musicians attached.
ForbesElla Langley Reaches New Career Heights On Several Charts SimultaneouslyBy Hugh McIntyre
This might make the average person queasy, but on a recent day at the Park Avenue office of facial plastic surgeon Sean Alemi, a male patient was completely awake as a surgical blade met his jawline. He wasn’t just conscious; he was actively co-directing the procedure.
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To help his patient achieve a stronger, more masculine look, Alemi had made a small incision on the underside of the chin under local anesthesia. He then proceeded to insert an assortment of chin implants, one after another. “I had ordered 20 different implants and sizers, which are dummy mock implants,” recalls Alemi. “And you basically just try them until you find one that has the features that you really like. You put one in, and then I put a stitch in the chin to close it, and I handed him a mirror.” The doc popped in various sizes. After a few swaps, the patient settled on the perfect fit, widening his jawline to his exact satisfaction.
“The patient was really actually able to participate in the surgery, which was fun and unique,” says Alemi.
It’s a striking example of the lengths American men are going to optimize their faces in the era of “looksmaxxing” — the hyper-fixated, internet-born subculture dedicated to maximizing one’s physical attractiveness. It exists alongside a more general current obsession with projecting masculinity, advocated by everyone from the tech-bro elite and Trump administration members to Joe Rogan-adjacent podcasters and social media influencers. The message to men is clear: Power begins at the jawline.
A patient’s before-and-after following surgical male jawline contouring (performed by Dr. Sean Alemi), which has become increasingly popular.
Courtesy of Dr. Sean Alemi
It’s not just jaws and chins that are getting attention, though. In early June, prominent looksmaxxer Clavicular livestreamed his two-hour rhinoplasty procedure. But it’s still rare for men to be open about cosmetic procedures, let alone document it online. While Hollywood has done much to normalize plastic surgery and other aesthetic work, it’s typically female celebrities who have been in the conversation, from the Kardashian family all the way back to Phyllis Diller speaking publicly in 1971 about having a facelift.
Dr. Babak Azizzadeh
Courtesy
Lately, though, it’s almost impossible to think of a high-profile male celebrity who hasn’t sparked at least some rumors about what work he’s had done, whether it’s jawline reshaping (Elon Musk, Bad Bunny, Barry Keoghan, Zac Efron), a facelift (Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise), eye surgery (Adam Levine, Justin Theroux, Bradley Cooper) or fillers (Ryan Gosling, David Beckham). There are male celebs who look jarringly different (Jim Carrey), while others appear to have had subtle glow-ups where no single change stands out (Matt Damon). It’s impossible to know exactly what’s been done, and the talk is all speculation. Men are particularly mum about work they’ve had done. “For men, you really can’t have the stigma of plastic surgery,” says Beverly Hills facial plastic surgeon Dr. Babak Azizzadeh. “It’s just very, very difficult to tolerate.”
While they might deny having work done, the hypermasculine Hollywood ideal still sets the bar for what many patients want. “When you look at pop culture, when you look at celebrities, overwhelmingly the men are very masculine. And so I think this creates kind of a very desirable aesthetic that a lot of guys specifically come in and ask for,” says Dr. Alemi.
For this story, I spoke with four plastic surgeons and a top aesthetic practitioner about what men are requesting these days. Their consensus? The pool of patients is expanding faster than ever. But two procedures in particular offer a fascinating window into how gender expectations shape these decisions and how the results are perceived. The first is jaw redefinition (which can enhance masculinity) and the upper blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), which when done incorrectly can sometimes make a man’s face look more feminine.
That Strong Jaw
As a signifier of masculinity, the Hollywood jawline is conspicuous. Think Henry Cavill. Or Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. The typical patient seeking a face that more emulates that look either has what’s traditionally been called a weak chin or they have a lower face that’s more oval- or V-shaped than blocky. Some don’t want dramatic changes, instead seeking more of a nearly imperceptible boost in rugged proportions.
“I do get a lot of patients saying, “I want my jawline to be more masculine. I want it a little more squared,’ ” says board-certified nurse practitioner Natalia Guzman of Beverly Hills’ Atelier Aesthetix, adding: “It’s become a little bit more mainstream for men to come in for procedures. I think it’s less of a taboo for guys now, especially with social media.”
Nurse practitioner Natalia Guzman
Courtesy
Doctors, whether they employ fillers or implants, typically focus their jaw work on two areas: the chin, which can be given more projection, more width or more height (or some combo of the three); and what anatomy books call the gonial angle of the mandible — or, in layman’s terms, the literal corner of the jaw.
An initial visit at Guzman’s practice typically lasts 90 minutes, during which she uses an Aura 3D Imaging System (which is outfitted with 13 cameras) to assess the angles and measures of a patient’s face. Based on that analysis, Guzman decodes the strict geometry of the modern male ideal: “For the jawline for males … the width of your cheekbone to the width of your jawline is meant to be a one to one, so you’re more squared out. It’s more masculine. For women, we’re meant to be a 1.5 to one, more in a slighter V.”
To bring a patient’s face closer to that standard of purported perfection, Guzman prefers using a filler called Juvéderm Volux, which is made primarily from hyaluronic acid.
“For men, I would be doing about two syringes in the chin. And then for the jawline, I’d be doing maybe about two syringes to start with. You come back about four to six months later; we keep building slowly. So it’s a process. It’s not just a one-and-done, which is what a lot of people think,” says Guzman, who prefers hyaluronic-based fillers because “we can dissolve it if there’s a problem or let’s say for example the patient doesn’t like it — I don’t inject anything that I can’t get rid of.” Adds Dr. Alemi, “We’re basically doing what we call a liquid chin implant.”
Post-procedure swelling can occur for 24 to 48 hours, and results typically last 12 to 18 months.
Atelier Aesthetix in Beverly Hills offers cutting-edge treatments.
Courtesy
In Beverly Hills, one of the most prominent facial plastic surgeons is Dr. Jason Diamond, who’s long had a significant male clientele who seek the doc out for his proprietary Diamond Facial Sculpting technique. “It’s my injection technique where I’m injecting right on the bones to create what is essentially similar to putting an implant in. This is different than the usual fillers done widely by most people, which is under the skin or between the skin and muscle,” says Diamond. “It’s a micro-droplet technique, little droplets that can accumulate to take a shape. It’s not one big squirt of something.”
Diamond adds that “nonsurgical results can be dramatic.” Surgical results — which do run a risk of complications, including infections and nerve damage — can be even more so. Top doctors these days will create customized jaw and chin implants, which are typically made of silicone and can run $10k. A more aggressive treatment also exists to create Gaston-like chins. “It’s called a sliding genioplasty,” says Dr. Alemi. “This is a surgery where you actually cut the bone of the chin and slide it forward and then you screw it in place with a plate. So obviously another degree of invasiveness — and permanence.”
Dr. Jason Diamond
Courtesy
Often, older men will opt for a treatment to address a sagging neck at the same time that they are seeking better jaw definition. “I see a lot of men in their 50s and 60s who are bothered by the way their jawline is aging because they’re losing definition. But when I look at the bone structure of these people, it’s not necessarily because they need a chin implant or jaw augmentation, they need a face- and neck lift, and they need their deep neck sculpted,” says Alemi. (A full overhaul that includes surgical male jawline contouring along with a deep plane facelift and deep neck lift can start at $80,000.)
And what about the current rage for mouth exercises, like chewing a jaw exercise ball or a special type of gum, which purport to bulk up mandibles? Diamond pooh-poohs the idea. “The face does not have weight-bearing muscles. Those are muscles that respond to weights and resistance training by getting bigger,” says Diamond. Because muscles in the face are different, “it doesn’t work,” adds Guzman. “It’s just a great way to make money on TikTok.”
The Eyes Don’t Have It
“The trend is really booming,” says Azizzadeh, of the demand among older men for eye surgeries to address aging. In later years, the under-the-eye area often gets puffy or baggy, while eyelids and brows can sag, creating what’s known as a hooding effect.
At Azizzadeh’s practice in the past five years, he says he’s seen a 50 percent rise in the number of men coming in to address dissatisfaction with how their eyes look.
Yet, as the rush to fix eyes accelerates, a cautionary tale is playing out under the glare of the red carpet. In Hollywood, where the pressure to look perpetually youthful is acute, a rash of high-profile male celebrities have emerged from eye procedures with mixed results. Many appear to have exchanged their naturally rugged looks for a wide-eyed smoothness that can be perceived as more feminine. Male celebrities can also have a startled look.
To be clear, the problem rarely lies below the eyes. Surgery to address droopy and puffy lower eyes — known as a lower blepharoplasty — is generally a safe zone for aging leading men. Docs can lift tissue, trim away excess skin and shift fat, smoothly erasing bags. “A lot of times we’re doing a lower bleph to look refreshed and less tired,” says Azizzadeh.
The real aesthetic landmine is the upper blepharoplasty, which is done to address excessive hooding in the eyes, meaning that the upper lid is sagging.
“The upper bleph is actually a deceptively challenging artistic procedure. A lot of individuals in the aesthetic medicine space think, ‘OK, you just take a little skin and you’re done,” says Azizzadeh. “But the artistic and gender-specific approach to it is really critical. And I always say this: A lot of people comment on celebrities saying, ‘My God, this person had the worst facelift.’ But if you really look at them, they had a really bad blepharoplasty.”
Upper and lower bleph with periocular upper facial fat grafting, performed by Dr. David Samimi.
Courtesy of Dr. Samimi
Adds Dr. David Samimi, an oculofacial plastic surgeon with Eyesthetica (which has offices in Encino and Santa Monica), “There’s a lot of interest [in upper bleph procedures].” But seeing some less-than-ideal results on red carpets “instills a lot of fear in people that would like to get something done. They’re like, ‘Wait a second, if this guy who’s a celebrity looks like that, I shouldn’t do anything because he obviously has access to the best resources.”
So what’s going amiss with some male celebs’ eyes? It’s usually an upper-bleph procedure that simply does too much. Either too much skin has been removed, or an incision in the upper eyelid was made too high, or too much fat was taken away. The eyes can then look skeletonized or simply wide-eyed, which is often perceived as a feminine trait.
The sweet spot is where just the right amount of skin is excised along with fat redistribution to avoid a hollowed look. A talented doc will reduce some of the hooding that comes with age without removing it entirely since hooded eyes tend to be seen as a masculine trait. Think Brad Pitt’s iconic bedroom eyes.
“For men and women, there’s a huge divergence of how we want this entire area to look. What works on women is going to be different on men,” says Azizzadeh. “You need to tread really, really conservatively for men. Less is more. If you don’t do that, you get the results that people are talking about on social media. If your surgeon does it really well, no one should know you’ve had an upper blepharoplasty.” It’s similar in a way to how men often will go easy on Botox and retain some lines on their forehead.
Oculofacial plastic surgeon Dr. David Samimi.
Courtesy of Dr. David Samimi
Both Samimi and Azizzadeh recommend that men avoid an overaggressive brow lift as well. That’s because a brow that’s too high can not only contribute to that deer-in-the-headlights look but can also read as more feminine. “A man should have a relatively low brow and a relatively low eyelid,” says Samimi. He says he’s shifted to doing less surgical brow lifts. Instead he prefers fat grafting (harvesting fat from elsewhere in the body) and using it to plump the brow area, including the temples. “It’s more brow contouring, restoring the lost volume in the upper third of the face,” he says.
Azizzadeh advises a go-it-slow approach. “A lot of times, men go in for a blepharoplasty, and a surgeon’s knee-jerk reaction is, ‘Let’s do your brows too,’ because that’s what we often do in women. But for men, don’t make the mistake of doing too many things. Maybe we do your eyes first, then next year we’ll do your face and neck. Maybe we’ll do your brow at a different time. So it’s a very gradual evolution, and they just look like they haven’t had anything done.” (According to doctors interviewed for this article, costs for eye procedures run from $9,000-$20,000 for an upper bleph, $6,000-$25,000 for a brow lift and $5,000-$9,000 for brow conturing with fat grafting.)
Ultimately, the booming market for male procedures proves that men are just as susceptible to the pressures of the mirror as anyone else. “A lot of people are doing this because they want to have put their best foot forward. It honestly is no different than someone wanting to go to the gym to get bigger shoulders and a six-pack,” says Diamond.
But men seem to have a narrower target to hit — and it’s a deeply paradoxical one. By definition, rugged masculinity implies a certain roughness or asymmetry, while cosmetic perfection demands smoothed-out edges. The sweet spot lies somewhere in between the two.
This story appears in The Hollywood Reporter’s July 2026 issue “The New Face of Hollywood.” Click here to read more. %!s()
Chancellor Rachel Reeves - who was at Sir Keir's side on the front bench as usual - appeared close to tears.
Labour MP Carolyn Harris was also overcome by emotion as she told MPs that "every day we see his decency and his courage shine through".
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Sir Keir is due to hand over power to Andy Burnham on Monday, after the former Greater Manchester mayor is confirmed as Labour leader at a special Labour conference on Friday.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch refrained from attacking the outgoing PM's record, instead praising him for his work on Ukraine and his friendship with the country's President, Volodymyr Zelensky.
But she did aim some jibes at Labour MPs and their next leader, who was absent from the session as he has been at all the PMQs sessions since he returned to Parliament last month.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Sir Keir had worked with people across the House of Commons and described him as a "true patriot".
Watching on were several guests of the prime minister including campaigners he had met during his time in Downing Street.
He addressed some of them directly as he spoke, saying: "To all those in the gallery whose lives have been changed or improved by this Labour government, and all across the country who struggle to be seen or heard, you're the reason I came into politics."
Despite being forced out by his own MPs just two years after winning a landslide election victory, Sir Keir was met with cheers from the Labour benches as he arrived in the House of Commons.
As is often the case for a prime minister's final question session, the tone was gentler and more light-hearted than usual, with plenty of jokes about England's World Cup hopes as well as the by-election in Clacton.
However, it began on a sombre note with Sir Keir paying tribute to former MP Ann Widdecombe.
He said it was "chilling" that during his time in Parliament three serving or former MPs had been killed.
Badenoch paid tribute to the former Conservative minister as a woman of "high principle" with a "wicked sense of humour".
Prime Minister's Question took place eight hours before the World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina - and references to the match came thick and fast.
Conservative MP Graham Stuart joked that the prime minister had been given the "red card" by "400 dodgy referees".
Liberal Democrat MP Will Forster asked Sir Keir if his last act would be to declare a bank holiday if England wins the World Cup.
The prime minister replied that he didn't want to "tempt fate" and suggested Forster ask him again on Sunday.
There were also several references to the by-election in Clacton, triggered by the resignation of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
The main parties are not taking part in the election, accusing Farage, who is re-fighting the constituency, of pulling a stunt, as he stands again in the Essex constituency.
The boycott means Farage's opponents are largely either independent or novelty candidates.
Sir Keir suggested people in Clacton should "put your vote in the bin".
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed said he could not "back joke figures with ridiculous policies" adding: "Which is why I'm supporting Count Binface."
Reform UK MP Danny Kruger hit back at the jibes, arguing that a "comedian with a dustbin on his head" was a suitable substitute for the major parties.
Cabinet members had a whip round, organised by deputy prime minister David Lammy, to buy Sir Keir a vintage silver carriage clock as a leaving gift.
The clock, made in the 1920s by the firm responsible for building Big Ben, was presented to Sir Keir at his final cabinet meeting on Wednesday morning.
It included a plaque engraved with "Change promised, change fought for, change delivered. Thank you Keir – The Cabinet," Downing Street said.
Lord Kinnock, the former Labour leader, has told the BBC he advised Sir Keir earlier this year to "stand fast" against challenges to his leadership.
In an interview with BBC Newsnight and 5 Live, he revealed he had been texting the prime minister before and after the local election results in May. %!s()