Co-Counsel Program

Co-Counsel Program

Less than 1% of people harmed by the police, federal law enforcement, or correctional personnel pursue legal action.

The biggest barrier people have to seeking justice is finding an attorney. Countless attorneys are ready to fight for victims of police abuse, but are held back by the immense financial and time demands these cases require. 

NPAP’s Co-Counsel Program helps level the playing field by giving attorneys the financial backing and collaborative support they need to take on difficult, resource-intensive police-misconduct cases.

Our co-counsel program focuses on the police departments, jails, and prisons that repeatedly engage in abusive practices and evade accountability simply because no one has challenged them in court with a lawsuit.

Our co-counsel program prioritizes member attorneys with cases in civil rights legal deserts in rural communities in the South or Midwest, where dangerous and problematic law enforcement agencies are rarely held accountable for their abusive and unlawful actions and have little to no oversight. 

Harris et. al. v. Dobbins et. al

Lexington, Mississippi is a town only  2.5 square miles in size with a population of about 1,200 residents, 76% of whom are Black, located in the second poorest county in the U.S.

In less than a  year, Lexington police conducted over 300 roadblocks in majority Black neighborhoods to surveil and harass drivers. These unlawful roadblocks became a steady and consistent source of revenue for Lexington as officers gave citations for minor infractions such as broken taillights.

98% of the people arrested at the roadblocks were Black. Fed up with being held hostage in their own community, Black residents of Lexington organized and made hundreds of complaints about being harassed, arrested, or fined for baseless reasons – and they were ignored.

Local civil rights organization JULIAN reached out to NPAP for help in filing a lawsuit. Simply filing our lawsuit helped stem the police department’s abusive practices and was instrumental in bringing the egregious civil rights violations to the attention of the Department of Justice.

Relying heavily on NPAP and JULIAN’s investigative work to inform their investigation, the DOJ found that Lexington police officers engaged in a pattern of discrimination against the city’s Black residents, used excessive force, and retaliated against those who criticized their actions.

Here is how it works:

• NPAP attorney member receives a request for legal support from a victim of police violence; 
• NPAP member submits a request to NPAP’s Legal Department for co-counsel support; 
• NPAP’s Legal Department reviews the request and evaluates the case to determine if it is a good fit for the program;
• If the request is a good fit, NPAP Legal Department will join the litigation team to represent the victim of police violence. 

We do not accept intake or take any cases directly from the public. Please use our attorney referral listing if you are looking for representation.

If you are an NPAP member who is interested in getting co-counsel support. You can access the request form in the membership portal.