Mildred K. O’Linn is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Manning & Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez, and Trester LLP. Ms. O’Linn has an unparalleled background as an attorney and technical expert in police civil liability, police training and tactics, sexual harassment and employment litigation, and the defense of municipal entities. Ms. O’Linn received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Akron School of Law in Akron, Ohio and her undergraduate degree in criminal justice from the Honors College, Kent State University in Kent, Ohio (BS, cum laude). Ms. O’Linn has been licensed to practice law in California, Texas, and Ohio. In addition to her varied civil practice as a trial attorney, Ms. O’Linn was a police officer for eight years at the Kent State University Police Department. Subsequently, she served as the Legal and Technical Advisor for the Law Enforcement Television Network, Inc. (LETN).
Since coming to California in 1991, she has served the law enforcement community on a variety of committees and provided training to thousands of peace officers. In 1992, Ms. O’Linn served as a member of both the California POST Use of Force Committee and also served as a member of the California Peace Officers’ Association committee to develop a use of force model policy. Between 1992 and 1995, Ms. O’Linn served as a member of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Use of Force Training Review Committee and on the Los Angeles Police Department’s Civilian Martial Arts Advisory Panel in development of the LAPD’s arrest and control curriculum. She has served on numerous California POST committees including: 2012 Ethical Decision-Making Committee; 2014 OIS Committee; 2015 LEOKA. Currently she serves on the Los Angeles County Chiefs of Police Public Outreach Committee and as the 2nd Vice-President for the Southern California Chapter of the California Association of Police Training Officers (CAPTO). She is a member of both PERF and CPOA and is a graduate of the Force Science Certification Course.
One of the unique aspects of Ms. O’Linn’s background is her extensive defensive tactics knowledge combined with her experience managing a regional police training academy, basic and in-service training programs, and field training officer program. While a police officer, Ms. O’Linn served as the chairperson of Unarmed Self-Defense for Basic Police Training for the Ohio Peace Officer Training Council. As a recognized expert in the use of force, Ms. O’Linn has served as an expert witness in civil litigation and has been called upon by numerous agencies across the country to serve as a consultant on police training issues, policy formulation and procedures and in review of high profile incidents. She also has the distinction of being one of the original founding members of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers, serving as the original Legal Advisor and subsequently serving as a member of the Executive Board from 1992 to 2001.
Ms. O’Linn has received awards and acknowledgments for excellence in representation and for her contributions to the defense of the law enforcement community from various agencies. In 2005 she was the Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriffs Association’s recipient of the Award for Civilian Leadership. In December 2006, Ms. O’Linn received a Meritorious Service Award from the City of Gretna, Louisiana Police Department for her assistance to law enforcement in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Ms. O’Linn has been repeatedly recognized as a Southern California Super Lawyer by California Magazine and as Top Women Attorneys in Southern California. In 2009, Ms. O’Linn was accepted as a member of the distinguished American Board of Trail Advocates (ABOTA), an award only bestowed upon proven trail attorneys. In 2011, she was inducted into the Litigation Counsel of America, an invitation-only trail lawyer honorary society representing less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. In 2006 as TASER International’s attorney for all ECD litigation in California, Ms. O’Linn was requested to take over their defense in a highly notable products liability case just 10 days before trial and in November 2006, a defense verdict was rendered on behalf of the LAPD and TASER in that matter.
Since coming to California in 1991, she has served the law enforcement community on a variety of committees and provided training to thousands of peace officers. In 1992, Ms. O’Linn served as a member of both the California POST Use of Force Committee and also served as a member of the California Peace Officers’ Association committee to develop a use of force model policy. Between 1992 and 1995, Ms. O’Linn served as a member of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Use of Force Training Review Committee and on the Los Angeles Police Department’s Civilian Martial Arts Advisory Panel in development of the LAPD’s arrest and control curriculum. She has served on numerous California POST committees including: 2012 Ethical Decision-Making Committee; 2014 OIS Committee; 2015 LEOKA. Currently she serves on the Los Angeles County Chiefs of Police Public Outreach Committee and as the 2nd Vice-President for the Southern California Chapter of the California Association of Police Training Officers (CAPTO). She is a member of both PERF and CPOA and is a graduate of the Force Science Certification Course.
One of the unique aspects of Ms. O’Linn’s background is her extensive defensive tactics knowledge combined with her experience managing a regional police training academy, basic and in-service training programs, and field training officer program. While a police officer, Ms. O’Linn served as the chairperson of Unarmed Self-Defense for Basic Police Training for the Ohio Peace Officer Training Council. As a recognized expert in the use of force, Ms. O’Linn has served as an expert witness in civil litigation and has been called upon by numerous agencies across the country to serve as a consultant on police training issues, policy formulation and procedures and in review of high profile incidents. She also has the distinction of being one of the original founding members of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers, serving as the original Legal Advisor and subsequently serving as a member of the Executive Board from 1992 to 2001.
Ms. O’Linn has received awards and acknowledgments for excellence in representation and for her contributions to the defense of the law enforcement community from various agencies. In 2005 she was the Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriffs Association’s recipient of the Award for Civilian Leadership. In December 2006, Ms. O’Linn received a Meritorious Service Award from the City of Gretna, Louisiana Police Department for her assistance to law enforcement in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Ms. O’Linn has been repeatedly recognized as a Southern California Super Lawyer by California Magazine and as Top Women Attorneys in Southern California. In 2009, Ms. O’Linn was accepted as a member of the distinguished American Board of Trail Advocates (ABOTA), an award only bestowed upon proven trail attorneys. In 2011, she was inducted into the Litigation Counsel of America, an invitation-only trail lawyer honorary society representing less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. In 2006 as TASER International’s attorney for all ECD litigation in California, Ms. O’Linn was requested to take over their defense in a highly notable products liability case just 10 days before trial and in November 2006, a defense verdict was rendered on behalf of the LAPD and TASER in that matter.