Former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch will work with New York State Attorney General Letitia James to investigate the NYPD's response to the George Floyd protests.

James' office announced on Wednesday that Lynch and Barry Friedman, a professor at NYU's law school, will be special advisors in the attorney general's investigation into the NYPD's interactions with the public.

Lynch served as attorney general during Barack Obama's second term as president. Before that appointment, she served as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

During her time as attorney general, she presided over several investigations into alleged police misconduct, including over the death of Laquan McDonald in Chicago. According to a press release from James' office, that investigation resulted in "an extensive plan for reform that included community input."

Lynch was also attorney general when the case against Daniel Pantaleo, the police officer who put Eric Garner into a chokehold, was sent to the Justice Department. Lynch's office ultimately did not make a determination on whether federal charges should be filed against Pantaleo before Obama's second term expired. The Justice Department eventually decided in July 2019 not to file charges.

Friedman is the founder of The Policing Project, which says on its website that it partners "with communities and police to promote public safety through transparency, equity, and democratic engagement."

James' office described him as "one of the country’s leading experts on constitutional law, criminal procedure, and policing."