ARIA Group, which has done work in Northern Ireland and South Africa, is a conflict resolution consulting and training firm. The lawsuit accuses the city police of 30 years of harassing black residents on the basis of race.
Police deny the allegations.
Various community leaders say the mediation has become more important in the wake of three days of rioting that was sparked by last month's fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by a police officer. An order issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge Susan Dlott authorizes Rothman to begin months of interviewing people across Cincinnati about police-community relations. Several thousand people are expected to be asked about their goals for improving police-community relations and how they think those goals might be accomplished. Input will be sought from minority groups, police officers and their families, youth, the media and community councils. Rothman also will seek the opinions of business, religious, social service and education groups along with city and police administrators.