Wrongful convictions are a prevalent issue in this country, and our organization receives an overwhelming number of inquiries and requests for case review. While we are unable to take on every matter, we carefully evaluate each request to determine where our resources can have the greatest impact.
Our classes are small, and unfortunately we are not able to take on nearly as many cases as we would like. We are not a traditional legal clinic, rather, our students thoroughly reinvestigate cases with strong claims of actual innocence, and they create short documentaries that highlight the aspects of the wrongful conviction and humanize the incarcerated person and their story. . Under the supervision of Making an Exoneree™ staff and faculty and in parallel with the undergrad students, a law student evaluates the legal issues and assists the attorney if the incarcerated individual is already represented. If unrepresented, usually the law student, will seek efforts to secure pro bono legal representation for the incarcerated person. We seek to achieve the best possible outcomes for our program participants: where exoneration is not possible, we explore options for release from incarceration, including parole, clemency, pardons, engagement with conviction integrity units, strategic advocacy, public awareness efforts, and other legal or advocacy avenues.
We wish you and your loved ones all the best during these difficult times, which we know are particularly compounded for those in prison, and especially the wrongfully convicted.