We can approach movement-based police misconduct and accountability from multiple angles, including litigation, legislative advocacy, media work, and more. Join attorneys from the National Police Accountability Project (NPAP), a project of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) for a skills workshop on all these approaches. Staff Attorney Keisha James and Legal Fellow Devontae Torriente will overview accountability nuts and bolts, brainstorm responses to hypothetical misconduct cases, and discuss connecting legal strategies with on-the-ground movements.
Speakers
Keisha James
Keisha is a Staff Attorney for the National Police Accountability Project. Prior to joining NPAP, Keisha was an Associate at Shearman & Sterling LLP where she worked on litigation and investigation matters. She has represented plaintiffs in civil litigation matters, including a voting rights case in Arkansas and litigation related to the release of police misconduct reports in New York. Keisha received her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and her BA in Political Science and International Studies from Northwestern University. While in law school, Keisha interned at the Federal Public Defender for the Eastern District of Virginia. She also participated in Virginia Law’s Criminal Defense Clinic and the Law and Public Service Program. Keisha resides in Washington, D.C. with her partner, Matthew, and their cats, Pancake and Muffin.
Devontae Torriente
Devontae is a legal fellow at NPAP. He received his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from American University in Washington, D.C. At Penn Law, Devontae was a recipient of the full-tuition Toll Public Interest Scholarship, participated in the Legislative Clinic and Advocacy for Racial and Civil Justice Clinic, and was a teaching assistant for 1L Criminal Law. He also served as an associate editor for both The Regulatory Review and the Journal of Law and Social Change. Devontae held summer internships at the Constitutional Accountability Center and NPAP, and he was involved with various pro bono projects. His original research on police oversight in Philadelphia was published as the winning submission of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review’s Dorothy E. Roberts Public Interest Essay Competition. Originally from New York City, Devontae worked in politics and policy advocacy in Washington, D.C. before law school. He is passionate about veganism, pop culture, and urbanism. Devontae currently resides in Philadelphia with his partner and his dog.