Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing, Feinberg & Lin has, for the past 40 years, been a leader in the fields of civil rights law and criminal defense. Our areas of expertise in constitutional litigation include police misconduct, prisoner rights, search and seizure, and the protection of First Amendment rights.
Civil Rights
Under the U.S. Constitution, all persons have certain rights that may not be violated by the government. When government actors violate these rights, the law provides for a remedy in the form of damages or an injunction (a court order prohibiting some action).  We provide representation in cases involving violations of the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.  Many of our cases are brought in federal court under a law called Section 1983.
Our civil rights cases cover numerous issues, including the following:
- False arrest: an arrest without sufficient legal cause
- Excessive force/police brutality: the use of unnecessary physical force by police or correctional officers
- Unlawful conviction/incarceration: convictions or prison sentences based on the wrongful actions of police or prosecutors
- Denial of medical care to incarcerated people: failure to provide necessary care to address a prisoner’s serious medical needs
- Free speech: denials of the right to engage in free speech and political expression
Criminal Defense
The need for criminal defense representation arises in many different circumstances. Â We provide representation in a wide variety of cases involving investigations and prosecutions by both the federal government and state prosecutors in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. Â Our cases involve any type of criminal charges, from allegations of violent crime and homicide to allegations of complex commercial fraud. Â
We provide representation at any and all stages of the criminal process:
- Grand Jury/law enforcement investigations
- Pre-charging negotiations
- Preliminary hearings
- Probable cause and detention hearings
- Plea bargaining
- Trial
- Sentencing
- Appeals
- Post-Conviction challenges to convictions and sentences (Post-Conviction Relief Act/Habeas Corpus)