Wikipedia

John Burris

John Leonard Burris (born May 8, 1945)[1][2] is an American civil rights attorney based in Oakland, California. He represents plaintiffs in police brutality and civil rights lawsuits.

John Burris
Born
John Leonard Burris

(1945-05-08) May 8, 1945 (age 81)
Vallejo, California, United States
OccupationAttorney
SpouseCheryl Amana Burris
WebsiteOfficial website

Burris served as co-counsel for Rodney King in his civil lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department, resulting in a $3.8 million judgment in 1994.[3] He has also represented athletes and entertainers in civil cases, including Tupac Shakur,[4] Latrell Sprewell,[5] Gary Payton,[6] Keyshawn Johnson,[7] and Barry Bonds.[7]

Early life and education

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Burris was born in May 1945 in Vallejo, California. He graduated from Vallejo High School in 1963.[8][9] He attended Solano Community College before earning a bachelor's degree in accounting from Golden Gate University.[8] Burris received a Master of Business Administration from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Business in 1970 and a Juris Doctor from UC Berkeley School of Law in 1973.[10]

After law school, Burris worked at the Chicago law firm Jenner & Block and served as an assistant state's attorney in Cook County, Illinois.[10] He returned to California as a prosecutor in Alameda County before becoming a member of the California Bar in 1976.[1][11]

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Burris shifted to civil rights law following his work investigating the 1979 police killing of 15-year-old Melvin Black.[12][13] In 1999, he co-authored Blue vs. Black: Let's End the Conflict Between Cops and Minorities, a book analyzing police interactions with African Americans.[14]

Burris secured an $11.3 million trial judgment against the San Jose Police Department for Hung Lam, who was paralyzed after an officer shot him in the back.[15] He also represented Tupac Shakur in a 1993 excessive force lawsuit against the Oakland Police Department over a jaywalking stop, reaching a $42,000 settlement.[16]

Melvin Black

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On March 17, 1979, Oakland Police officers fatally shot 15-year-old Melvin Black.[13][17][18] Mayor Lionel Wilson appointed Burris to conduct an independent investigation. The five-month review concluded that the physical evidence contradicted the officers' statements.[13] This case prompted Burris's transition to private civil rights practice.[10]

Oakland Riders case

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Burris and co-counsel Jim Chanin filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of 119 plaintiffs against the "Oakland Riders," a group of Oakland police officers accused of planting evidence and using excessive force. The resulting settlement mandated federal oversight of the Oakland Police Department that continues into the 2020s.[16][19]

Oscar Grant case

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Burris represented the mother of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old man fatally shot by a BART Police officer on January 1, 2009. The civil suit against Bay Area Rapid Transit resulted in a $2.8 million settlement.[19] [20] The case was depicted in the 2013 film Fruitvale Station.[21]

Mario Woods

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Following the December 2015 police shooting of Mario Woods in San Francisco, Burris represented Woods's mother in a wrongful death lawsuit. The shooting prompted widespread protests and preceded the resignation of San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr.[22]

Celeste Guap

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Burris represented Celeste Guap (Jasmine Abuslin) in civil litigation regarding the sexual exploitation of a minor by officers across several Bay Area law enforcement agencies. In 2017, the city of Oakland agreed to a $989,000 settlement.[23]

Brandon T.

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In 1996, Burris took the pro bono criminal defense of Brandon T., a six-year-old boy from Richmond, California charged with the attempted murder of an infant.[24][25]

Agustin Gonsalez

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In 2021, Burris and associate Ben Nisenbaum secured a $3.3 million settlement from the city of Hayward, California on behalf of the family of Agustin Gonsalez. Hayward officers shot Gonsalez 14 times while responding to a mental health crisis call, mistaking a small safety razor for a knife.[26]

Angelo Quinto

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Burris represented the family of Angelo Quinto, a 30-year-old Navy veteran who died in 2020 after Antioch police officers restrained him during a mental health crisis. In 2024, the city of Antioch agreed to a $7.5 million settlement and widespread department reforms regarding constitutional policing.[27]

Awards and honors

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Burris was inducted into the National Bar Association Hall of Fame in 2017. He received the National Bar Association's Heman Marion Sweatt Award in 2011.[28] He served as president of the California Association of Black Lawyers from 1979 to 1980.[28]

In 2020, the California Lawyers Association inducted Burris into its Hall of Fame.[29] UC Berkeley School of Law awarded him the Citation Award in 2026, recognizing him with the institution's highest honor for alumni.[30] The Daily Journal named Burris one of California's top 100 attorneys in 2005 and 2009.[31] Burris is the subject of the documentary film John Burris: Godfather of Police Litigation, which premiered on February 8, 2025, at UC Berkeley's International House and has since screened at venues across California; a broadcast on PBS is planned.[32][33]

Personal life

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Burris is married to Cheryl Amana-Burris, a retired law professor from North Carolina Central University.[12][34] He resides in Oakland Hills.

References

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  1. 1 2 "John L. Burris Burris, John L. - an Oakland, California (CA) Police Misconduct Lawyer". Archived from the original on 2017-07-27. Retrieved 2009-01-10.
  2. ↑ "California Births, 1905 - 1995". www.familytreelegends.com. Archived from the original on 2012-08-21. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
  3. ↑ Weiss, Debra Cassens. "Civil Rights Lawyer Reflects on Former Client Rodney King, Who Died Sunday at 47". ABA Journal.
  4. ↑ "From Rodney King to Oscar Grant to Mario Woods, Oakland Attorney John Burris on Taking Cases That Change Police Departments: SFist". Archived from the original on 2017-11-05. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  5. ↑ "Sprewell Pleads Not Guilty in Accident / Basketball star accused in reckless driving case". SFGATE. 1998-04-08.
  6. ↑ "'Money grab' rejected as jury clears ex-Laker star in alleged assault". 2017-07-19.
  7. 1 2 "Famous lawyer after a better world". 2008-02-24.
  8. 1 2 "Attorney in BART slaying case to speak at Solano Community College's MLK event - Vallejo Times Herald". www.timesheraldonline.com. Archived from the original on 2014-01-08.
  9. ↑ "Best Tips and References".
  10. 1 2 3 "'I've Always Wanted to Be Helpful'". Haas News. UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. 2024.
  11. ↑ "John Leonard Burris #69888 - Attorney Licensee Search".
  12. 1 2 Sam Whiting (2005-06-05). "Oakland's Johnnie Cochran". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-01-10.
  13. 1 2 3 "Article clipped from Oakland Tribune". Oakland Tribune. 1979-09-15. p. 16. Retrieved 2025-07-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Blue vs. Black by Catherine Whitney, John L. Burris, Whitney Burris". Publishers Weekly (Book review). August 30, 1999. Retrieved 2025-07-13.
  15. ↑ "Jury awards $11.3 million to San Jose man shot in the back by officer". The Mercury News. 2015-12-21. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
  16. 1 2 Elias, Paul (2009-01-27). "Civil Rights Lawyer Takes on Grant Shooting". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  17. ↑ "Cops' Judgement questioned in youth's death Sep 1979". The San Francisco Examiner. 1979-09-15. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-07-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "Curious lack of interest in Melvin Black shooting". Oakland Tribune. 1979-04-03. p. 22. Retrieved 2025-07-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. 1 2 "Civil rights lawyer John Burris confronts police narratives". St. Albert Gazette. Associated Press. October 29, 2021.
  20. ↑ "BART strikes $1.3 million settlement with Oscar Grant's mother". Oakland North. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
  21. ↑ Scott, A. O. (2013-07-11). "'Fruitvale Station' Is Based on the Story of Oscar Grant III". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
  22. ↑ "SF Police Chief Greg Suhr Resigns Amid Racial Tensions". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
  23. ↑ "Oakland Agrees To $989,000 Settlement In Police Sex Scandal Case". 2017-05-31. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
  24. ↑ Knapp, Don (1998-08-28). "Very young killers create quandary for legal system". CNN.com. CNN. Retrieved 2009-02-08.
  25. ↑ "The Littlest Criminal". Frontline. 1997-05-13. Retrieved 2009-02-08.
  26. ↑ Hegarty, Peter (March 17, 2021). "A family's pain: $3.3 million from Hayward won't bring back son". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  27. ↑ "Antioch, civil rights attorney John Burris reach constitutional policing settlement". KTVU FOX 2. December 19, 2025.
  28. 1 2 "John L. Burris | Founder & Lead Attorney". BNCL Law Firm. Retrieved 2026-07-18.
  29. ↑ "Hall of Fame inductees for the California Lawyers Association". The Sweeney Firm. Retrieved 2026-07-18.
  30. ↑ Shaw, Gwyneth K. (2026-06-12). "Annual alumni award winners honored for distinguished careers". UC Berkeley Law. Retrieved 2026-07-18.
  31. ↑ "John Burris, The Defender-Lion Of The Courthouse". Geoffrey's Inner Circle. Retrieved 2026-07-18.
  32. ↑ "John Burris: Godfather of Police Litigation Documentary Premiere". University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 2026-07-18.
  33. ↑ "'The Godfather of Police Litigation' honors John Burris' legacy". The Sacramento Observer. Retrieved 2026-07-18.
  34. ↑ "Cheryl E. Burris – California LAW Pathways". Retrieved 2026-07-18.
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