Equal Justice in Law Enforcement Initiative
T
EQUAL JUSTICE IN LAW
ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVE
he Atlanta Bar Association has a longstanding tradition
of leadership in promoting the fair administration of
justice in our community. As set forth by President
Franklin at the Annual Meeting in May of 2015, the Equal
Justice In Law Enforcement (“EJLE”) Initiative serves
to engage the legal community and key stakeholders
(citizens and the law enforcement community) in a focused
collaborative effort to help prevent and lessen the prospect
of law enforcement shootings (and/or the use of excessive
force) involving non-violent unarmed citizens.
The Atlanta Bar’s historic work to support the cause of justice
has and continues to acknowledge that law enforcement
officers play a critical role in upholding the rule of law and
ensuring public safety. In 1980, this organization erected a
memorial in Woodruff Park to the police officers lost in the line
of duty and our Atlanta Bar Foundation supports educational
scholarships for the children of fallen officers.
Recent documented violence across the country from
shootings and other deadly force involving law enforcement
and unarmed non-violent citizens is deeply disturbing. Modern
technology has exposed what should never happen in our
great nation. Current incidents highlight a fundamental failing
in the fair and equal administration of justice and demonstrate
the critical need for meaningful dialogue and a focused
search for solutions to prevent or lessen the likelihood of the
continuation of such tragedies. By their very nature, such
incidents undermine confidence in our system of justice,
destroy the critical bond between the brave men and women
charged with protecting the community and those being
protected, and profoundly contradict our nation’s ideals.
Members of the Atlanta Bar have long advanced the
organization’s legacy of service to others and the pursuit of
the cause of justice. By lawyers joining together to lead using
their particular knowledge of the intricacies of the law, they can
help heal society by promoting the fair resolution of disputes,
upholding the rule of law, and ensuring that all citizens are
afforded their constitutional rights. The leadership of lawyers
can make a profound difference, as the law enforcement
community relies on our advice and counsel to help them
implement the law and citizens rely on us to make them aware
of and help enforce their rights.
The EJLE Initiative brings together the law enforcement
community, the prosecutorial and defense bars, former
offenders and the public by further engaging the legal
community to provide additional resources to lessen the
potential for discriminatory policing practices and uphold
6 THE ATLANTA LAWYER
August/September 2015
the civil and constitutional rights of every citizen, while also
supporting the outstanding work, dedication, and sacrifice of
our law enforcement community.
The EJLE Initiative consists of two phases:
(1) EJLE Task Force:
Primarily comprised of members of the bar directly involved
in the criminal justice system (prosecution and defense), law
enforcement leadership, law school academicians, former
offenders, community and civic leaders and stakeholders,
the EJLE Task Force will: 1) study and evaluate the various
perspectives and problematic issues that have led to negative
or deadly law enforcement/citizen encounters; and 2) engage
volunteer members of the bar in facilitating the dissemination
of enhancements to law enforcement training and educational
outreach to the affected communities (including a specific
outreach effort to local high school students) on measures
designed to help prevent unwarranted negative or deadly law
enforcement/citizen encounters . The training and educational
outreach will consist of a community forum and/ or panel
discussion(s) in the Fall of 2015 and/or Spring of 2016 at the
Georgia State University College of Law and a larger bar-wide
program featuring a keynote speaker in the Spring of 2016.
(2) EJLE Volunteer Recruitment Partnership with
Georgia Appleseed:
The Atlanta Bar, as part of its EJLE Initiative, has partnered
with Georgia Appleseed on its “Race, Law Enforcement
and The Law Project” by recruiting volunteer attorneys.
Attorney volunteers, after receiving training through Georgia
Appleseed, conduct inter ٥