Burris Nisenbaum Curry & Lacy | California Lawyer

Fighting for Justice Since 1985

Since 1985 in CA
In 1985, John L. Burris created a law firm committed to serving, largely underserved clients. While Mr. Burris’s practice initially focused on criminal defense, he quickly shifted to an emphasis on civil rights litigation, particularly in police misconduct and racial and sexual discrimination in employment. Today, the firm serves the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, Central California, Los Angeles, and Southern California. With a commitment to fight for justice worldwide!

– Protecting Everyone
Over the years, John Burris, Benjamin Nisenbaum, Ayana Curry, DeWitt Lacy, and associated counsel have represented everyday people and victims of police misconduct whose names became synonymous with police reform, such as Rodney King, Oscar Grant and Theresa Sheehan. Our attorneys have also represented a number of public officials and high-profile clients: Earl Sanders, the former Chief of Police of San Francisco, recording artist Tupac Shakur, actor Del Roy Lindo, NFL player Keyshawn Johnson, NBA players Gary Payton and Jason Kidd, and Aaron Goodwin (former sports agent for NBA phenomenon LeBron James).

– Becoming a Top Firm
BNCL has been and will continue to be instrumental in social reforms of police policy, governing racial profiling, Asphyxiation, Canines, Deadly Force, Tasers, In-Custody deaths, and other inhumane practices. Our work has also changed police department protocols for crowd control tactics and handling the mentally impaired.BNCL has been successful in identifying and rooting out police corruption and sexual abuse, including the infamous “Oakland Riders” case.

READ MORELESS

Protecting Everyone

Over the years, John Burris, Benjamin Nisenbaum, Ayana Curry, DeWitt Lacy, and associated counsel have represented everyday people. Including victims of police misconduct whose names became synonymous with police reform, such as Rodney King, Oscar Grant, and Theresa Sheehan. BNCL attorneys have also represented several public officials and high-profile clients: Earl Sanders, the former Chief of Police of San Francisco, recording artist Tupac Shakur, actor Del Roy Lindo, NFL player Keyshawn Johnson, NBA players Gary Payton and Jason Kidd, and Aaron Goodwin (former sports agent for NBA phenomenon LeBron James).

Becoming a Top Firm

Burris Nisenbaum Curry and Lacy has been and will continue to be instrumental in social reforms of police practice policies, governing racial profiling, Asphyxiation, Canines, Deadly Force, Tasers, In-Custody deaths, and other inhumane practices. Our work has also changed police department protocols for crowd control tactics and handling the mentally impaired. In addition, BNCL has been successful in identifying and rooting out police corruption and sexual abuse, including the infamous "Oakland Riders" case.

Case Results

Reginald Oliver v. City of Oakland

Oakland Police keep fabricating evidence and lying about minorities to arrest and prosecute them for supposed “gang” crimes, in violation of a settlement that prohibits …

Named plaintiff Reginald Oliver claims the Oakland PD continues violating the Constitution, in defiance of the settlement in Delphine Allen e al. v. City of Oakland, USDC No. C-00-4599 TEH, also known as "The Riders" litigation. Read Full Course

Jane Smith v. City of Oakland

Racial profiling of Asian women by police officer resulting in a class action complaint for damages, declaratory and injunctive relief

Finding evidence about defendant's post-conviction parole violation unfairly prejudicial "since the jury could have construed that parole violation as character evidence in violation of Federal Rule of Evidence 404(b)" Read Full Course

Rodney King v. City of Los Angeles

Rodney King has filed a petition for a writ of mandamus seeking to have Judge John G. Davies disqualified from presiding at the trial of …

Rodney King waited too long to file a malpractice suit against the first of 27 lawyers who represented him in connection with the infamous beating he suffered from Los Angeles police in 1991, this district’s Court of Appeal ruled yesterday. The ruling by Div. Two affirmed Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ann Kough’s grant of summary judgment to Steven Lerman. King earlier this year dismissed his appeal of Kough’s ruling in favor of two other lawyers sued in the case, Federico Sayre and John Burris. Read Full Course

Explore all our cases

About BNCL

Committed To Protecting The Rights Of The People.

Civil rights lawyer John Burris confronts police narratives

John Burris Video 2020

Colin Kaepernick Tribute Video