43 | RACIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY RACIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY | 44 RACIAL JUSTICE FELLOWSHIP Weil Racial Justice Fellows: Six Months of Pioneering Research on Police Reform In 2021, as a joint initiative of the Pro Bono and Diversity Committees, two second-year associates based in New York, Brian Morganelli in Restructuring and Rasheed Stewart in Securities Litigation, were seconded for six months to the Institute for American Police Reform as part of a Racial Justice Fellowship sponsored by Weil. A pro bono client of the Firm, the IAPR is a nonpartisan organization founded to provide guidance at a national level on policing laws, policies and accountability. Brian conducted research on the issue of qualified immunity for law enforcement officials. Rasheed worked on the legal issues involved in the use of deadly force by the police. Brian and Rasheed have demonstrated their commitment to pro bono service and racial justice, and it is evident in their work on police reform at the IAPR. We are grateful that they have both produced research that will make a difference in our ongoing efforts to bring about fairness for all in the criminal justice system, a cause that has long been central to pro bono at Weil. Miriam Buhl Pro Bono Counsel, New York Because the organization was so young when we signed up, it wasn’t just doing legal research. It was also building coalitions and figuring out how to get the Institute’s position into public discourse. In terms of working within the organization, it wasn’t just coming in with your view and implementing it. It was talking to people, explaining your research and listening to their views. Brian Morganelli
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