Corporation Counsel Stephen R. Patton, the city's top lawyer, has recruited two law firms to represent the city and the Chicago Police Department in an ongoing Department of Justice misconduct probe. Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr will be the lead firm, while the Chicago branch of Taft Stettinius & Hollister will provide support. The Washington DC-based Wilmer Hale, which boasts 14 office across the US but no office in Chicago, is also representing Baltimore in a similar Department of Justice investigation. The legal bill for Chicago's defence is as yet unconfirmed, though fees for enlisted lawyers could stretch to $1,200 per hour.

Use of force concerns

The Department of Justice probe was launched in December last year by Attorney General Loretta Lynch. It focuses on the Chicago Police Department's use of force, seeking to identify whether there are systemic violations of the United States Constitution or federal law within the city's police force. In particular, the DOJ is responding to concerns that there are disparities in the use of force by CPD officers along racial and ethnic lines, as well as insufficient systems of accountability. Sources: Crain's Chicago Business: US Department of Justice