Our Advocacy
Loevy + Loevy’s relentless legal advocacy has had a sizable impact on civil rights in the United States. Our public interest litigation has positively changed the law for victims of future civil rights violations, provoked reforms in police departments, and exposed abuses of power across the country. We have uncovered widespread patterns of police and prosecutorial misconduct in cities like Chicago, Elkhart, and Boston that have prompted public debates, practice changes, and important reforms.
Creating Lasting Change
Our attorneys have secured meaningful reforms through innovative litigation and settlement terms, improving the transparency and accountability of police departments, prosecutors’ offices, and other government agencies.
We likewise work hand-in-hand with civil rights organizations, activists, and community groups to advocate for systemic change to ensure that the injustices endured by our clients never take place again.
Read more about cases where Loevy + Loevy has secured meaningful policy changes, legal victories, and public accountability:
Indictment of CPD Commander Jon Burge
Loevy + Loevy represented Madison Hobley in his lawsuit against the Chicago police officers who tortured and framed him. In response to written questions from Loevy + Loevy attorneys, former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge lied under sworn oath, denying that he ever committed torture. This was a lie: Burge violently tortured numerous Black and Brown Chicagoans. Prosecutors later used this instance of perjury to indict, prosecute, and imprison Burge. This prosecution made international news: before the perjury conviction, there were few legal avenues to hold Burge accountable since the statute of limitations had passed for his criminal acts of torture. Loevy + Loevy secured a historic $7.5 million settlement for Mr. Hobley.
Accountability for Illinois students abused by their teacher
Loevy + Loevy represented eight young women who were sexually abused by their school teacher. After suing the school district and the principal who knew about, and covered up, the teacher’s heinous misconduct, Loevy + Loevy won a $3.5 million jury verdict in 2010.
Forced City of Chicago to release video footage of a Chicago police officer shooting Laquan McDonald
After Chicago Police stonewalled public records requests from independent journalist Brandon Smith, Loevy + Loevy represented him in a 2016 FOIA lawsuit that forced the City of Chicago to release video footage exposing the heinous murder of Laquan McDonald by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke. The release of the video led to the firing of the heads of the Chicago Police Department and Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA), the replacement of IPRA with a new oversight agency, a federal pattern and practice investigation finding that CPD routinely violated the Constitutional rights of the people (especially people of color) it policed, a federal consent decree overseeing CPD reforms, and a murder conviction. Read more about the FOIA lawsuit and the fallout from the killing of Laquan McDonald.
Pushed Wisconsin to change police practices after Madison police shot and killed Tony Robinson, an unarmed Black teenager
In March 2015, a white police officer fatally shot Tony Robinson, a Black teenager, in Madison, Wisconsin. Representing Robinson’s parents, Loevy + Loevy sued the officer and City of Madison, who defended the officer and refused to interrogate his claims. As a result of our litigation, the City of Madison altered its police policies, and the Wisconsin Department of Justice changed how it investigates police shootings to no longer allow the shooting officer to review audio and video recordings before being questioned about the incident. The case settled for a then-record amount for a police shooting in Wisconsin.
Implementation of a desegregation plan for Mississippi mortuaries
Loevy + Loevy represented six black-owned mortuaries in Gulfport, Mississippi in a lawsuit against the public coroner, who discriminated against them in favor of two white-owned mortuaries. The case settled in 2018 during the middle of the trial after the cross examination of the coroner, with an agreement to implement a desegregation plan among all eight mortuaries in Gulfport.
Forced Cook County Jail to protect detainees from COVID-19
Loevy + Loevy, along with the Chicago Community Bond Fund, MacArthur Justice Center, and Civil Rights Corps, won an injunctive case to protect detainees at the Cook County Jail. Mays v. Dart. This was one of the only successful COVID-19 legal injunctions in the country to survive appellate review. The case forced Sheriff Thomas Dart to take protective measures for detainees, including: enforcing social distancing, maintaining prompt COVID-19 testing, providing face masks and providing sanitation supplies. The case also resulted in policy changes that will remain in place to protect detainees against future pandemics.
Forced Department of Justice to unredact key portions of the Mueller report
Loevy + Loevy represented reporter Jason Leopold and BuzzFeed News in a lawsuit challenging redactions to the Mueller Report under the Freedom of Information Act. In 2021, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the US Department of Justice to remove redactions that explained why Special Counsel Robert Mueller decided not to criminally charge Donald Trump Jr., former President Donald Trump’s son, with any crimes.
Pioneered mass exonerations of more than 175 wrongfully convicted Chicagoans
The Exoneration Project, with the support of Loevy + Loevy, led a historic mass exonerations inChicago. Since 2016, over 230 drug convictions tied to a disgraced former Chicago police sergeant and his corrupt tactical team have been dismissed. In August 2022, the Exoneration Project led the first-ever mass exoneration in homicide cases, effectively dismissing seven murder convictions tied to corrupt police detective Reynaldo Guevara. Loevy + Loevy continues to represent survivors of extreme police misconduct in their suits against Guevara and the City of Chicago.
Milwaukee stopped chaining women while giving birth
Prior to Loevy + Loevy’s intervention, Milwaukee maintained a widely-condemned practice of shackling pregnant women with metal cuffs, chains, and manacles during childbirth. As a result of multiple lawsuits filed by Loevy + Loevy (Martin v. County of Milwaukee, Terry v. County of Milwaukee, Hall v. County of Milwaukee, Robles v. County of Milwaukee), the County of Milwaukee ended its practice of shackling women in childbirth. Read about our client Melissa Hall and the condemned practice in Cosmopolitan Magazine.
Historic $33 million wrongful conviction verdict in Massachusetts
Fred Weichel spent 36 years wrongfully imprisoned after police fabricated false evidence and hid extensive evidence. After Fred’s exoneration, Loevy + Loevy represented him in his civil suit against the officers who framed him. A Massachusetts jury found Fred innocent, ruled that police in the cities of Braintree and Boston covered up exculpatory evidence, and awarded Fred a verdict of $33 million — one of the highest wrongful conviction verdicts in United States history.
Ended Cook County prosecutors’ practice of jailing witnesses for missing “prep” meetings
For decades, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office issued illegal and unconstitutional “prep” subpoenas to witnesses in criminal cases, demanding that they meet with prosecutors before trial. If the witness did not appear for that meeting, prosecutors would ask a judge to hold the witness in contempt, sometimes putting people in jail. After Loevy + Loevy sued and publicized the issue, the State’s Attorney issued a new written policy banning this practice in 2022.
Indictment of Cook County prosecutors for wrongful conviction
In 2018, attorneys from Loevy + Loevy and the People’s Law Office successfully litigated Jackie Wilson’s exoneration after more than 36 years of wrongful incarceration. After obtaining the dismissal of charges with prejudice at the conclusion of a two-week retrial, and later, a Certificate of Innocence for Mr. Wilson, we successfully petitioned for the appointment of a Special Prosecutor to investigate and prosecute members of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. The Special Prosecutor announced a 14-count indictment against two former State’s Attorneys involved in the case in 2023.
$55.3 million class action settlement for Cook County Jail strip searches
Between 2004-2009, guards in Chicago’s Cook County Jail conducted abusive strip searches of as many as 250,000 people. The strip searches were often conducted in mass lineups and included detainees with minor traffic violation charges. In August 2009, a jury found that Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart was liable for allowing the abusive strip searches to continue after he took office. The class action lawsuit was settled for $55.3 million in November 2010, the largest-ever class-action settlement of its kind.
$16.5 million class action police misconduct settlement in Chicago
Loevy + Loevy filed a class action lawsuit in 2004 on behalf of up to 514,000 people who were mistreated by the Chicago police. The alleged misconduct included arresting people without warrants, shackling people to walls and metal benches in interview rooms and overnight lockups, and depriving people of sufficient food, water, bedding, and bathroom breaks. Following the lawsuit, the Cook County Circuit Court established a “duty judge” system to ensure probable cause hearings within 48 hours, and will enforce required mandates for more humane treatment in overnight lockups and interview rooms. The class action lawsuit was settled for $16.5 million in May 2010.
Take Action Today
To discuss your case with an experienced civil rights attorney, contact our firm today for a free and confidential consultation at 888-644-6459 (toll-free) or 312-243-5900.
Our Impact
Loevy + Loevy has won more multi-million dollar verdicts than perhaps any other law firm in the country over the past decade. Our willingness to take hard cases to trial, and win them, has yielded a nationally recognized reputation for success in the courtroom.
Read the latest public reporting and press releases about Loevy + Loevy’s clients, our public interest litigation, and our civil rights impact.
Our compassionate, award-winning attorneys work relentlessly to ensure our clients are supported, empowered, and victorious.
