Constitutional Policing and Civil Justice Reform
At the direction of the Managing Partner, the Constitutional Policing and Civil Justice Reform ("CPR") Initiative was created following the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25, 2020, to demonstrate the Firm's commitment "to advancing the rule of law governing policing in the minority communities." Underscoring the necessity of this important work, the Managing Partner noted that "an effective police force—one that is widely respected as honest, fair, and evenhanded both in protecting communities and enforcing order—is essential to the survival of any system built on the rule of law."
The CPR Initiative is engaging in local and nationally coordinated efforts to achieve cultural and systemic changes in policing practices in minority communities throughout the United States, with an emphasis on the African American community. Specifically, the Task Force and the hundreds of lawyers supporting them are:
- Coordinating efforts at the local and national levels to impact systemic reform in policing practices, policies, procedures, and culture;
Undertaking impact litigation designed to challenge unconstitutional policing practices, and to achieve systemic reform resulting in a decrease in excessive use of force, improved transparency and accountability, and standardized policing practices; - Exploring opportunities to engage in reform of police accountability through addressing issues with police union contracts and arbitration proceedings related to police discipline;
- Educating communities, stakeholders, local government leaders, community activists, and our corporate clients on issues related to reform to help bring key parties together to move toward meaningful reform; and
- Engaging corporate clients in strategic partnerships.
For more information, see these Jones Day webinars: