Page 15 - Katten 2021 Pro Bono Annual Review

Police Accountability Project Aims to Identify Barriers

to Meaningful Change and Reform

One of Katten’s signature civil rights projects devel- centuries,” Joanna says. “This crisis has drawn much
oped from a multistate initiative by the Lawyers’ more attention over the last couple of years, and
Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Spurred by there’s a significant opportunity here to affect real
momentum to drive meaningful reform after the change. I am deeply motivated and excited to be able
murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, the to, hopefully, push the dialogue around police reform
project has support from several law firms. forward. We need and deserve better policing.”

Katten attorneys from several practices and offices By September, the team completed its research and
joined the project in April, taking on the task of summaries covering the state of Mississippi and the
researching barriers to reform in the state of cities of Southaven, Jackson and Gulfport. Findings
Mississippi and several urban areas there. As part of were submitted to the Lawyers’ Committee for
the project, attorneys were tasked with researching Civil Rights Under Law, which is compiling the work
and analyzing police unions, hiring, training and of Katten and other firms to create an extensive
firing practices and policies. They also looked at summary regarding the current status of police
resource allocation for criminal versus non-criminal reform and accountability in the United States. The
purposes, adjudication of misconduct claims and work of Katten and other firms will be provided to
indemnification practices. lawyers on the ground floor to assist in litigating
cases centered on police misconduct.
Katten’s efforts, led by Los Angeles Litigation asso-
ciate Joanna Hill, looked at statewide practices in In addition to Joanna, Katten attorneys involved in
Mississippi, as well as specifically focusing on the the project include Los Angeles Litigation associate
cities of Jackson, Gulfport and Southaven. Paul Yong, New York Litigation associate Sean
Achkin, and Chicago Financial Markets Litigation
“Police misconduct has plagued my family, my
and Enforcement associate Michael Cardoza.
community and the United States, generally, for

Police misconduct has plagued my
family, my community and the United
States, generally, for centuries.

This crisis has drawn much more at-

tention over the last couple of years,
and there’s a significant opportunity
here to affect real change. I am deeply
motivated and excited to be able to,
hopefully, push the dialogue around
police reform forward. We need and

deserve better policing.”
Joanna Hill
ASSOCIATE, LOS ANGELES

KATTEN 2021 PRO BONO ANNUAL REVIEW 13
KATTEN 2021 PRO BONO ANNUAL REVIEW