A Conversation with Katherine Earle Yanes & Kiera K. Murphy on Issues Surrounding Law Enforcement’s Liability | Part 2

The Federal Bar Association has always been a leader in addressing timely and topical legal issues.  To that end, the webinar “Issues Surrounding Law Enforcement’s Liability | Part 2” on Tuesday, July 21, 2020 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET follows the previous installment in analyzing how law enforcement is trained, special considerations that arise during their prosecution, and solutions for the problems we face.  In the wake of the police accountability complications that are confronting America, it is even more vital that we are educated on issues surrounding law enforcement’s liability. Registration for this webinar is FREE to all attendees!  Register now at fedbar.org/event/webinar-lawenforcementliabilitypt2.

Join us for this program featuring a panel of defense attorneys with expertise in representing officers. The panelists include Drew Findling, Immediate Past President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers who also represents celebrities such as Gucci Mane and Cardi B, Sharonda Williams, a former City Attorney for the City of New Orleans, and Celeste Koeleveld, formerly a Criminal Division Chief at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and an Executive Assistant Corporation Counsel at the New York City Law Department.

The webinar will be moderated by Kiera K. Murphy, Associate, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP and Katherine Earle Yanes, Partner, Kynes Markman & Felman, P.A.  Both are members of the Federal Bar Association Diversity & Inclusion Committee and in the following Q&A, they provide personalized insight, perspective, and knowledge about the July 21 webinar on “Issues Surrounding Law Enforcement’s Liability | Part 2.”

                                                          Kiera K. Murphy and Katherine Earle Yanes

What do you hope attendees learn from this session?

Kiera K. Murphy: One of the big things in this session we want to highlight is how these concepts play out in real cases and the experiences legal practitioners have had in cases involving police as defendants. The idea for this webinar was sparked by listening to other programming after George Flyod’s death, and most of the information was focused on qualified immunity and civil suits rather than criminal proceedings.  Our program at the FBA is meant to be a discussion about analyzing case law as well as real world experiences.  The practical approach to this topic will greatly benefit attendees.

Speaking of attending this webinar on July 21, who should attend?

Katherine Earle Yanes: Part 2 of the webinar is focused on the defense side of criminal and civil proceedings related to police use of force issues.  Lawyers of all practice areas will like this program and find value in it because its nuts and bolts information that includes a larger discussion of systemic issues that result in law enforcement facing these situations.  Also, the use of video and body camera footage leads to privacy considerations.  This topic lends itself to a number of criminal law, privacy, and technology concerns.  There’s a changing landscape in this area, and so it appeals to attorneys of all experience levels and skill sets.  The webinar will tackle issues that are playing out in real-life and in real-time.

Kiera K. Murphy: We should all become more educated on this topic even if we don’t have a practice where we might represent a law enforcement officer or municipality.  The current system needs education.  This is a webinar where panelists will talk about systemic bias and racism in the system as well as the many issues around how law enforcement is trained.

What law enforcement liability themes are you looking forward to hearing more about?

 Katherine Earle Yanes: This is a passion project, and that will shine through in the dynamic panel of speakers we have assembled.  Sharonda Williams served as City Attorney for the City of New Orleans. As City Attorney, Sharonda was the lead attorney handling the most comprehensive police consent decree in the history of the United States.  Also, Drew Findling is the Immediate Past President of The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and he has extensive experience representing law enforcement officers with claims of excessive force and use of force.

 Kiera K. Murphy:  Celeste Koeleveld was involved in the defense of the stop and frisk policy in the lawsuits against New York City.  She’s going to be talking about stop and frisk and her experience in defending New York from civil liability.  She’s worked extensively on the civil and federal level, and will provide legal and policy issues analysis surrounding stop and frisk.  Sharonda Williams has a lot of experience with the consent decree, and Drew Findling has represented many individual officers.  This webinar is filled with lawyers who have practical experience working in the field.

Katherine Earle Yanes and Kiera K. Murphy hopes to see you at the July 21 webinar!  Register now at fedbar.org/event/webinar-lawenforcementliabilitypt2 for the session on “Issues Surrounding Law Enforcement’s Liability | Part 2.”

About the Author

Stacy Slotnick, Esq. holds a J.D., cum laude, from Touro Law Center and a B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She performs a broad range of duties as an entertainment lawyer, including drafting and negotiating contracts; addressing and litigating trademark, copyright, patent, and other IP issues; and directing the strategy and implementation of public relations, blogging, and social media campaigns.

About the FBA

Founded in 1920, the Federal Bar Association is dedicated to the advancement of the science of jurisprudence and to promoting the welfare, interests, education, and professional development of all attorneys involved in federal law. Our more than 16,000 members run the gamut of federal practice: attorneys practicing in small to large legal firms, attorneys in corporations and federal agencies, and members of the judiciary. The FBA is the catalyst for communication between the bar and the bench, as well as the private and public sectors. Visit us at fedbar.org to learn more.