Rasha Gerges Shields, a partner in Jones Day's Los Angeles Office, has been selected to serve as co-chair of the Los Angeles Police Commission's newly formed Advisory Committee on Building Trust and Equity.
On July 30, 2020, the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners announced a series of reforms to enhance accountability and transparency within the Los Angeles Police Department, to strengthen public safety, and to deepen police-community trust. One of the Board's main actions is the formation of the Police Commission's Advisory Committee on Building Trust and Equity. Ms. Shields is among 16 policy specialists, legal experts, and community leaders who will serve on the Advisory Committee. The Committee's work will focus on a review of discipline and accountability; assessing current policing reform proposals being considered throughout the country; evaluating the implementation of past LAPD reform proposals; examining the LAPD's recruitment, hiring, retention, and training process; and analyzing data collection and retention practices.
Ms. Shields has more than 15 years of trial and appellate experience. Her practice focuses on defending companies and executives in high-stakes civil cases and criminal investigations. She joined the Firm as an associate in 2003 and left in 2007 to serve as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Central District of California and Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Section, rejoining Jones Day after seven years. Ms. Shields is active in the community and currently serves as president of the Arab American Lawyers Association of Southern California. She also serves on the Firm's Diversity, Inclusion & Advancement Committee, and received the California Minority Counsel Program's Law Firm Diversity Leader award in 2018.