Winthrop & Weinstine Responds to the Killing of Daunte Wright

As lawyers, we adhere to Rules of Professional Conduct. The Preamble to these Rules requires us, as members of the legal profession and public citizens, to fulfill our special responsibilities to improve and promote the quality of justice, access to the legal system, and the administration of justice.

As people, we can and should do more. We should pursue and promote equality of justice: defend those who are shunned or attacked for their “differences,” stand up as allies for those who do not enjoy privilege, and work to heal open wounds caused by decades of hatred, exclusion, and disparate treatment.

The recent and unnecessary death of Daunte Wright, a young Black man who was shot by a police officer after a traffic stop, which occurred while our community and the world are watching the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer accused in the killing of George Floyd, reminds us again that violence and intolerance have no place in a just and lawful society.

Winthrop & Weinstine is committed to working for equality of justice. We know our work must be internally and externally focused. We will continue to identify, acknowledge and address our own implicit biases, engage as allies for our diverse employees, clients, and the communities we serve, and work to enact policies to elevate diversity, equality and inclusion. We know that our words must be translated to action, and we invite you to join us in this critically necessary work.

Firm President
Tammera Diehm

Board of Directors
David Aafedt
Jeffrey Ansel
Thomas Kettleson
Anton Moch
John Stern
Todd Urness
Dean Willer