John Burris

John Leonard Burris (born May 8, 1945) is an American civil rights attorney, based in Oakland, California, known for his work in police brutality cases representing plaintiffs.

The John Burris law firm practices employment, criminal defense, DUI, personal injury, and landlord tenant law.

John Burris' practice grew notably when he represented Rodney King in his civil rights lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department and won $3.8 million against the LAPD.

Since then, Burris has represented plaintiffs in a number of high-profile lawsuits against police departments across the state of California including the "Oakland Riders" case which settled for $10.9 million where a gang of Oakland officers were found to be planting evidence on citizens, which caused the federal government to investigate and oversee the Oakland Police Department to this day.

Recently, John Burris represented Celeste Guap in her cases against Northern California Police Departments for a number of officers exploiting and having sex with her while she was underage.

Mr. Burris won a $989,000 settlement for Ms. Guap against the Oakland Police Department whose officers also face criminal charges for their sexual misconduct with a minor.

Mr. Burris won a $11.3 million judgment at trial against the San Jose Police Department, after an officer shot Hung Lam in the back causing him to become paralyzed.

Burris was born in May 1945 in Vallejo, California.

He attended Solano Community College in the mid-1960s and later earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Golden Gate University.

He graduated from Vallejo High School in 1963.

Burris graduated from UC Berkeley Graduate School of Business (MBA) in 1970 and UC Berkeley School of Law in 1973 with a Juris Doctor degree.

He worked for Chicago law firm Jenner & Block immediately after law school, and went on to become a member of the California Bar in 1976.

Burris's work in police brutality cases began in 1979 when he was an investigator in the district attorney's office working on the case of the killing of 14-year-old Melvin Black.

In 1996, Burris defended pro bono Brandon T., a six-year-old Richmond, California boy accused of and prosecuted for attempted murder of an infant, in a crime that made national news.

In March 2021, Burris and his associate Ben Nisenbaum announced a $3.3 million settlement of a lawsuit against the city of Hayward, California.

Burris's 1999 book, Blue vs. Black, is about the problem of police brutality against African-Americans.

Burris "has earned millions of dollars" in filing hundreds of police brutality and high-profile lawsuits, including a $3.8 million verdict for Rodney King and a $42,000 settlement in a suit brought on behalf of Tupac Shakur.

Burris's practice grew notably when he represented Rodney King in his civil rights lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department and won $3.8 million against the LAPD.

Burris has represented plaintiffs in a number of high-profile lawsuits against police departments across the state of California including the "Oakland Riders" case which settled for $10.9 million where a gang of Oakland officers were found to be planting evidence on citizens, which caused the federal government to investigate and oversee the Oakland Police Department to this day.

John Burris also represented Oscar Grant's mother in her lawsuit against BART Police which settled for $1.3 million, where Bay Area Rapid Transit Officer Johannes Mehserle shot the 22-year-old in the back while he was handcuffed on the Fruitvale BART train platform in Oakland, California on New Year's Day in 2009.

The facts of the case were later depicted in the movie "Fruitvale Station" starring Michael B. Jordan, which won multiple film awards.

John Burris also represented Oscar Grant's mother in her lawsuit against Bart Police which settled for $1.3 million, where Bay Area Rapid Transit Officer Mehserle infamously shot 22-year-old in the back while he was handcuffed on the Fruitvale BART train platform in Oakland, California on New Year's Day in 2009.

The facts of the case were later depicted in the movie "Fruitvale Station" starring Michael B. Jordan, which won multiple film awards.

John Burris represented Barry Bonds.

Mr. Burris also represents Mario Woods' mother in her case against the San Francisco Police Department where a group of officers were captured on video shooting her son, Mario Woods, on December 2, 2015, that caused large protests throughout the Bay Area and ultimately resulted in the resignation of the SFPD Chief of Police Greg Suhr.

Burris also has represented notable clients such as Tupac Shakur, Latrell Sprewell, Gary Payton Keyshawn Johnson and Barry Bonds.

Burris represented Mario Woods' mother in her case against the San Francisco Police Department where a group of officers were captured on video shooting her son, Mario Woods, on December 2, 2015, that caused large protests throughout the Bay Area and ultimately resulted in the resignation of the SFPD Chief of Police Greg Suhr.

Recently, John Burris represented Celeste Guap (also known as Jasmine Abuslin) in her cases against Northern California Police Departments for a number of officers exploiting and sexually assaulting her when she was underage.

Mr. Burris won a $989,000 settlement for Ms. Guap against the Oakland Police Department whose officers also face criminal charges for their sexual misconduct with a minor.

Burris represented the family of Agustin Gonsalez, who was shot to death by two Hayward police officers in 2018.

The officers were responding to a call reporting that a man was threatening people with a knife.

The officers killed Gonzalez, and then discovered that he was carrying a small safety razor.

He had 14 bullet wounds.

Gonzalez, 29, was an employee of Tesla, Inc., and had two children.

His family reported that he was undergoing a mental health crisis.

Burris is married to Cheryl Amana-Burris, a law professor at North Carolina Central University.

and lives in Oakland Hills, Oakland, California.