Guaranteed By Law
Civil Rights
Kaplan & Grady represents clients in complex domestic and international commercial arbitrations. We bring the rigor of courtroom advocacy to arbitral settings — pairing strategic case development with efficient, business-focused execution.
Our Values
01
Protecting human dignity
02
Equality & Equity
03
Family Focused
04
Institutional Accountability
Our Record Speaks
Tens of Millions Recovered.
Thousands of Lives Changed.
Kaplan & Grady was founded on a simple belief: that people behind bars don’t lose their humanity. Our team has recovered tens of millions of dollars for incarcerated individuals and their families through landmark verdicts and hard-won settlements. But the work isn’t just about the numbers. Every case we take is a stand against the systems, officials, and institutions that treat human lives as expendable. We litigate to win, and we win to change what’s possible.
NYT Coverage
Featured Case — Markus Johnson Estate
Representing the plaintiff on behalf of her son Markus Johnson’s estate in a wrongful-death matter profiled by The New York Times in its 2024 investigation of prison mental health care.
Pursuing Justice Behind Bars
Prisoners Rights
Wrongful conviction
Wrongful death
Denial of medical care
Excessive force
Police misconduct
Sexual Assault
Failure to Protect
Inadequate mental health care
Disability does not disappear behind bars, and it should never be used as a reason to deny someone safety, medical care, or access to programs they are legally entitled to. Kaplan & Grady represents individuals and families in federal courts nationwide who have been discriminated against because of their disabilities, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. Our work in this area has produced precedent-setting rulings, including the first federal court decision establishing that prisons cannot deny addiction treatment to someone simply because they test positive for drug use.
Taylor v. Wexford Health
A man was denied addiction medication while jailed because he tested positive for drugs. A federal court ruled for the first time that prisons cannot withhold treatment from someone for having the very condition they need treated. The decision is now cited nationally as precedent.
Farris v. Kohlrus (C.D. Ill.)
School District ADA Litigation
A disabled child was being abused by a bus driver and aide. District officials were aware and failed to intervene. Kaplan & Grady filed suit under the ADA to hold leadership personally accountable for choosing silence over a child’s safety.
Prison & Jails, Medical Care Facilities, Zoning & Licensing Laws
Medications for Opiod Use Disorder
Kaplan & Grady has created the nation’s first practice group focused exclusively on fighting discrimination against people with opioid use disorder. This form of discrimination is not just a public health concern or a criminal justice issue. It is a pressing civil rights problem: substance use disorder is a disability protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act and other federal and state laws.
A major form of discrimination against people with opioid use disorder concerns access to medications like methadone, which can mean the difference between life and death. Barriers to access often lead to intense withdrawal, pain and suffering, relapse, and overdoses.
You deserve Care
If you or someone you know has been unjustly treated, denied medication for opioid use disorder, or faced prejudice because of MOUD, legal recourse and financial compensation could be options.
MOUD In the News
NBC NEWS
Justice Department finds Tennessee board discriminated against lawyer over opioid disorder medication
Los Angeles Times
Orange County doesn’t want a needle exchange program. But it needs one.
Opioid overdose deaths in Orange County are rising sharply, with annual deaths nearly tripling in the four years ending in 2021. It is no coincidence that for much of that time, and again today, Orange County is the most populous county in the country without a needle exchange program.
Our Attorneys
The People Behind the Practice
Luke R. Sándor
Luke graduated from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in 2021. During law school, Luke advocated for survivors of police violence ... Read More.
Annie Garau Kelly
Annie Garau Kelly comes to Kaplan & Grady after clerking for two federal judges: the Honorable Jeffrey I. Cummings on ... Read More.
Vanessa del Valle
Vanessa’s work focuses on enforcing the civil rights of individuals involved with the criminal justice system. She represents people impacted ... Read More.
Matthew Underwood
Matthew comes to Kaplan & Grady with a decade of experience litigating high-stakes commercial and civil rights matters. Prior to ... Read More.
David Sinkman
David is a civil rights lawyer whose practice focuses on ensuring that people with substance use disorders are not discriminated ... Read More.
Alan Mills
Alan Mills is a nationally recognized prisoner rights advocate who has devoted decades to representing incarcerated individuals. Prior to joining ... Read More.
Sarah Grady
Sarah has represented thousands of currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, and their families, at trial and on appeal. She focuses ... Read More.
Amelia Caramadre
Amelia works on cases at the intersection of public health and civil rights, including by litigating access to lifesaving medications ... Read More.
David Schmutzer
David brings to the firm impressive experience across various practice areas at both the trial and appellate levels. David graduated ... Read More.
Mattie Haag
Mattie joins Kaplan & Grady following clerkships with the Hon. Mark R. Hornak, Chief Judge of the United States District ... Read More.
Annie Prossnitz
Annie graduated from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, magna cum laude, in 2020, and from Stanford University in 2013. During law school, she served as ... Read More.
Terah Tollner
Terah earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and graduated magna cum laude ... Read More.
John Hazinski
John graduated with a B.A. in Philosophy with honors from the University of Chicago in 2014 and received his Juris ... Read More.
We’ll Defend Your Civil Rights
Let's Talk
Strategy
Whether you or someone you love has suffered abuse behind bars, been denied critical medical treatment, or had their constitutional rights violated by those sworn to protect them, Kaplan & Grady is ready to fight.
