This episode of Coping with COVID shifts attention from one pandemic to another, the plague of excessive force by police officers. This is an old and longstanding problem receiving new attention in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd. Although we have witnessed these atrocities in the past, across the nation, citizens are coming together with a renewed strength to work together to find a solution.

There is much to be done. It is a difficult moment in our history, and yet, amid this intense pain and scrutiny, perhaps there is a new opportunity for consequential reforms. This episode welcomes four experts on policing and police reform who are working toward implementing real change. A lot is riding on how we handle these issues, including the future of our democracy and the realization of a justice system that truly protects and serves all Americans.

Moderated by ALI President David F. Levi, the panelists are:

• Lori Lightfoot is the mayor of Chicago. Prior to her election last year, she was a partner at Mayer Brown. She also served on Chicago’s Police Accountability Task Force and as president of the Chicago Police Board.


• Art Acevedo is Chief of the Houston Police Department, where he leads 5,200 law enforcement officers and 1,200 civilian support personnel. He has served in law enforcement for more than 30 years. He is an Adviser to The American Law Institute’s Policing Principles project.


• Ashley Allison is executive vice president of campaigns and programs at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. She previously served as the deputy director and senior policy advisor in the White House Office of Public Engagement.


• Barry Friedman is one of the country’s leading authorities on policing. He is the Jacob D. Fuchsberg Professor of Law at NYU and the founding director of the NYU Law School Policing Project. He is also the Chief Reporter for The American Law Institute’s Policing Principles project.