By: Aman Jalan
OAKLAND, Calif. – A new website introduces John Burris, Nisenbaum & Curry, or BNC, to the public. Behind them is a legal practice built over decades by national civil rights attorney John L. Burris, alongside partners Ben Nisenbaum and Ayana Curry.
Burris has spent nearly 50 years challenging accounts of police encounters that, in his view, did not match the evidence. His work includes representing Rodney King in the civil case that followed King’s beating by Los Angeles police officers and representing the family of Oscar Grant after his fatal shooting by a Bay Area transit officer. Today, Burris remains active in cases involving alleged abuses of government power.
John Burris states, “People come to us when they feel that a powerful institution has already decided their story does not matter. Our responsibility is to listen, investigate, and make sure the facts are heard. The BNC name reflects the attorneys who carry out that work together every day.”
That work continues in current matters. In July 2026, Burris filed a claim alleging that Contra Costa County agencies failed to protect a teenager from a county therapist accused of grooming and sexually abusing him. The allegations remain allegations, and a claim is a step that can precede a lawsuit. BNC’s news page also highlights representation connected to a witness account of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. These matters show the range of civil rights questions the firm is addressing, from the protection of a young person in county care to accountability for federal agents.
Ben Nisenbaum: Taking Complex Cases Through Trial and Appeal
Ben Nisenbaum’s connection to Burris’s practice began in 2001, when he joined the Law Offices of John L. Burris as a law clerk. He returned as an attorney in 2002. His work has included civil rights litigation, criminal defense, and appellate advocacy. He argued City and County of San Francisco v. Sheehan before the U.S. Supreme Court and has handled appeals before the Ninth Circuit.
“John taught us that a case cannot be reduced to its headline,” said Ben Nisenbaum. “You have to know the record, challenge the assumptions, and keep working when the path is difficult. That approach guides how we represent clients at every stage.”
Ayana Curry: Oakland Roots and Appellate Experience
Ayana Curry’s history with the practice reaches back to a high school internship at Burris’s office. She returned as an attorney in 2000 and worked on the Oakland Riders case, helping manage the firm’s representation of 119 clients. Curry later served as a deputy attorney general in California, where she developed her appellate research and writing practice.
“I first saw this work up close as a student in Oakland,” said Ayana Curry. “What stayed with me was how much care it takes to turn a person’s experience into a case the legal system must confront. The new site gives people a clearer view of our team and the work we do.”
The national civil rights law firm has a new website bringing its attorneys, practice areas, case information, and news coverage together under the BNC name. For Burris, Nisenbaum, and Curry, the rebrand offers an opportunity to introduce the team behind the work while continuing to pursue civil rights, police misconduct, discrimination, personal injury, and appellate matters.
