News & Events

Law360 featured the Firm in a Pro Bono Spotlight titled, “Simpson Thacher Helps Thwart Police Bias In Mississippi.” The article highlights the Firm’s involvement, alongside the ACLU and ACLU of Mississippi, in securing a groundbreaking consent decree that will help to prevent Mississippi’s Madison County Sheriff’s Department from engaging in racially motivated policing practices. The consent decree is the first of its kind imposed on a law enforcement agency in Mississippi, according to the ACLU. The Firm’s pro bono efforts involved a team of nine attorneys, nearly 40 depositions and some 90,000 pages of document review. In discussing the Firm’s approach to evaluating the case and forming a strategy, Litigation Partner Jon Youngwood discussed how important it was to have data that evidenced the widespread and ongoing nature of the bias. “You can hear stories and have people tell you about their experience, but if you want to bring the case on a countywide or class basis, you are going to need hard, direct evidence of systemic wrongdoing,” he said.

Simpson Thacher partnered with the ACLU and ACLU of Mississippi in bringing the class-action lawsuit. In speaking with Law360, ACLU Mississippi legal director Josh Tom said, “Simpson Thacher’s role in the case was essential, and without them this would not have been possible.”

To read the full article, please click here (subscription required).