Executive Director Colleen Cotter appointed by Mayor to Panel

Legal Aid's executive director Colleen Cotter was appointed by Mayor Frank Jackson today to the selection panel for Community Police Commission as formed by the consent decree with the Justice Department.

At today's press conference, U.S. Attorney Steve Dettlebach said "The mayor has done an excellent job. This group represents the best leadership in our community."

The selection panel will have 60 days to make 10 appointments to the Community Police Commission, and must do so in an open forum, according to the consent decree.

The 13-member commission will make recommendations to the police chief on policies and practices that can help strengthen relations between officers and the communities they protect. It will also consider recommendations from the public and make reports to the city and community about changes in practices and policies.

The commission also will include members from the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association, which represents rank-and-file officers; the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents supervisors; and the Black Shield, a professional association of black officers.

Ms. Cotter, an attorney, is the Executive Director of The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, serving in that position since 2005. Legal Aid provides civil legal assistance to 10,000 clients each year, focusing on safety and health, education and economic stability, and shelter.

Ms. Cotter is Saint Luke’s Foundation Board Member, Cleveland Marshall College of Law Visiting Committee Member, and Cleveland Rape Crisis Center Sing Out! Chorale member. Ms. Cotter was a member of the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2011. She previously served on the boards of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation, the Center for Community Solutions, and the National Legal Aid and Defender Association. She also served on the Legal Services Corporation’s Data Project Advisory Committee and the LSC Pro Bono Task Force. Her 2007 speech entitled “Justice and Healthy Communities” was published in Vital Speeches of the Day.

Ms. Cotter previously worked as a consultant to legal aid organizations and their funders across the country. She has also worked for Indiana Legal Services and Pine Tree Legal Assistance in Maine, where she served as a Skadden Fellow. Ms. Cotter clerked for the Honorable Cornelia Kennedy of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She received her JD, summa cum laude, from Indiana University School of Law and her BA, cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame.