Area of Practice: Police & Public Safety Law Founding Partner Sean Smoot is a subject matter expert on policing and public safety and the Managing Partner of 21CP. Building on a 30+ year career in law and policing, he now consults internationally on issues related to Constitutional Policing, Public Employment Labor Law, Pension & Benefits Law, Section 1983 Civil Rights Litigation, Body Worn Cameras, Use of Force, Supervision, Officer Safety & Wellness, Recruiting, Retention, and Hiring. Mr. Smoot was a police and public safety advisor to the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Teams and a Member of President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. He also was part of the Executive Session on Policing and Public Safety at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government from 2008 to 2014. He is a member of several national boards and committees, and regularly speaks at conferences, meetings, and forums on topics related to public safety, police-community relations, and law enforcement agency operations. He has appeared on CNN, C-SPAN, and several national news affiliates discussing critical issues in modern policing. Mr. Smoot’s career in law enforcement labor relations and legislative advocacy began in Illinois and he remains the Emeritus Director and Chief Counsel of the Police Benevolent & Protective Association of Illinois. He also is the Area 4 Vice-President of the National Association of Police Organizations (“NAPO”), a national law enforcement advocacy group representing over 250,000 police officers across the United States. Other noteworthy service in his native state includes his 2015 appointment to the Illinois Commission on Police Professionalism by then-Governor Bruce Rauner, and his current role on the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB). First appointed to ILETSB in 2020 by Governor J.B. Pritzker, he was elected Chairman of the Board in 2023. As ILETSB’s Chairman, he is responsible for the oversight and training of more than 35,000 sworn law enforcement officers and over 6,500 sworn correctional officers across the state. Mr. Smoot also spent 12 years as an elected alderman and ten years as the police commissioner in Leland Grove. Mr. Smoot holds a BS in Criminal Justice Sciences from Illinois State University and a JD from the Southern Illinois University School of Law, where he served as the Business Editor of the SIU Law Journal.

Robert Tolman is a Certified Specialist in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation as certified by the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization. Education J.D. – 1974 Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona Bar Admissions: Arizona, 1974, U.S. District Court District of Arizona, 1974 U.S. Federal Courts, 1974 Professional Associations and Memberships: Arizona Association for Justice, Member, 1974 – Present, Board of Directors, 2001-2011, American Association for Justice, Member, 1975 – Present, East Valley Trial Lawyers Association, Organizer and President, 1984 – 1986, East Valley Trial Lawyers Association, President, 1992 – 1993., State Bar of Arizona, Member.

John attended the University of Utah, graduating in 2001. John then attended his dream school, Notre Dame Law School, where he graduated, with honors, in 2004. John is licensed to fight in court for real people in the State of Arizona, the United States Federal District Court of Arizona, and the 9th Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. Having practiced in both the defense and plaintiff’s practice areas gives John a complete perspective of the litigation process, and valuable insight into how to efficiently and effectively advance his clients. John relentlessly pursues justice for his clients through loyal advocacy, honest communication, and the committed pursuit of the truth. John works hard and creatively, drawing on his mind and his heart for his clients to ensure that they are treated fairly in every single step of the litigation process.