Zalkind Duncan & Bernstein, LLP

Zalkind Duncan & Bernstein, LLP is a Boston-based civil rights and criminal defense law firm with a longstanding reputation for holding government actors and law enforcement accountable. Founded by attorneys with deep roots in public interest law, the firm has spent decades representing individuals whose constitutional rights have been violated by police officers, correctional officers, and other state and federal officials. The firm's civil rights practice encompasses claims of excessive force, unlawful search and seizure, false arrest, malicious prosecution, and civil rights violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, and it has consistently pursued these cases against powerful government defendants on behalf of vulnerable clients.

The attorneys at Zalkind Duncan & Bernstein bring a combination of courtroom experience and scholarly rigor to every case. Several of the firm's lawyers have backgrounds as public defenders, prosecutors, and legal academics, giving them a uniquely comprehensive understanding of how law enforcement and the criminal justice system operate. This insider knowledge informs their strategic approach to civil rights litigation, enabling them to identify misconduct, challenge official narratives, and build compelling cases for their clients in both state and federal courts across Massachusetts.

The firm is widely respected in the Massachusetts legal community for its willingness to take on difficult and high-profile cases involving police misconduct, wrongful conviction, and civil rights abuses. Zalkind Duncan & Bernstein has represented clients in matters that have drawn significant public attention and has secured meaningful outcomes — including substantial financial recoveries and systemic changes — for individuals who have suffered at the hands of law enforcement. Their commitment to justice extends beyond individual cases, as they regularly engage in advocacy efforts aimed at broader police accountability and civil rights reform.