Since 1978, Dorsey & Whitney has been sending a steady stream of litigation associates to the Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office to help prosecute misdemeanors. But earlier this month, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, the firm did away with the program, with managing partner Bill Stoeri citing the racial imbalance in the prosecution of misdemeanors and the impact that has on black communities.
As Stoeri told American Lawyer, the firm aims to be “part of the solution”:
“What George Floyd’s death did is really cause us—and I think a lot of other people around the country—to really reexamine things and look at it and see what we thought was appropriate to be doing,” Stoeri said. “A change is needed, and I think this is an area where, instead of just saying we’ll explore things … we can take some action and examine our own programs.”
The firm will also be doing more pro bono work focused on supporting the recent Black Lives Matter protests and working with public defenders in the city. Plus, the firm will be matching employee donations to “charitable organizations working for racial justice and providing community support,” up to $50,000.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).