CT-REQ-2995 Advancing Racial Justice Pro Bono Report 01 TW V3 - Flipbook - Page 6
Criminal justice
Our colleagues are deeply committed to the rule of law
and equal access to justice, particularly within criminal
legal systems. In this section, read more about our work
on behalf of the accused, from their first encounter with
police to their release from incarceration.
Police violence and excessive force
Our pro bono lawyers played a fundamental role in
securing justice for George Floyd, a Black man who died
at the hands of police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in May
2020. We provided trial-side and appellate support in
the historic prosecution of two former police officers,
Derek Chauvin and Tou Thao. Chauvin, who knelt on Mr.
Floyd’s neck until he lost consciousness, was convicted
of murder and sentenced to 22.5 years in prison, while
Thao received a 3.5-year sentence for failing to intervene
in Chauvin’s unreasonable use of force.
Following Mr. Floyd’s death, more than 70 volunteers
from 13 offices across Europe, Asia, and Latin America
created an extensive research database for the United
Nations, analyzing use of force and police accountability
in a dozen jurisdictions around the world. The aim of
the project was to support and ensure member-state
compliance with the International Convention on the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Simultaneously, our U.S. colleagues collaborated with
the Institute for American Police Reform to create an
interactive map of state laws governing deadly force.
