Minneapolis, MN commercial litigation attorney Andrew Parker talks about his experience in handling civil rights cases. The attorney practiced for several years at a large law firm in downtown Minneapolis, where they represented the Minneapolis Police Department. This role involved defending police officers, who often face challenging situations and must sometimes make split-second decisions. The law permitted actions to be taken against the police when individuals believed their civil rights were violated. With a strong grasp of the law, the attorney eventually took on their first excessive force civil rights case against the police. Representing the plaintiff offered a new perspective on litigation compared to the defense side, leading to a deeper understanding of an area they had previously considered familiar.

This case marked the beginning of a broader civil rights practice, focusing on instances where the government, through law enforcement, oversteps its bounds. In that particular case, which took place years before phone video recordings were common, there was no video evidence; nevertheless, it resulted in a verdict exceeding a million dollars in favor of the client. This outcome motivated the attorney to expand their civil rights litigation practice on behalf of plaintiffs, challenging government overreach through either regulatory or law enforcement actions.