Steve Connolly joined OIR after beginning his legal career in private practice. He specialized in white collar criminal defense as an associate at the Los Angeles offices of Kirkland & Ellis, and represented clients at various stages of federal criminal investigations.
   While still at Kirkland & Ellis, Mr. Connolly's pro bono work included serving as counsel to the Rampart Independent Review Panel. That group produced a report in November of 2000 that assessed the Los Angeles Police Department's Rampart scandal and proposed a number of reforms. Mr. Connolly also worked as a volunteer prosecutor for Redondo Beach, California, as part of that city's "Trial Advocacy Prosecution Program."
   Mr. Connolly graduated from Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts, and has a Master's Degree in Literature from the University of California, Irvine. After several years as a writing teacher at the high school and community college levels, he attended Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, where he graduated cum laude in 2000.