The University of Arizona Innocence Project, a clinic at the James E. Rogers College of Law, provides free legal assistance to individuals convicted of crimes they did not commit.
As a member of the nationwide Innocence Network, the University of Arizona Innocence Project is at the center of the movement to identify and overturn wrongful convictions.
After screening cases to identify claims of innocence, the University of Arizona Innocence Project thoroughly investigates each case to identify litigation strategies with the potential to bring justice to the wrongfully convicted and litigate on behalf of our clients in state and federal court.
Through our casework, we hope to raise awareness of the causes of wrongful convictions and highlight the need for systemic reform.
In addition to our direct client representation, the University of Arizona Innocence Project works on cases where we have unique expertise to offer. Our attorneys have served as expert consultants in a capital case, conducted an exhaustive forensic audit, and served as amicus in cases where issues critical to wrongful conviction cases are at stake.
Underlying all of the University of Arizona Innocence Project’s work is the complementary objective of training law students to become ethical and effective advocates. The training and exposure to ideas that students receive in this clinic provide a foundation for transforming the system to prevent future wrongful convictions.
About the Innocence Network
With the advent and evolution of DNA testing in the mid to late 1990s and the founding of the Innocence Project at Cardozo Law School, the contemporary innocence movement was born.
The Innocence Network is an affiliation of organizations from all over the world dedicated to providing pro bono legal and investigative services to individuals seeking to prove innocence of crimes for which they have been convicted, and working to redress the causes of wrongful convictions.
The movement has identified thousands of wrongfully convicted men and women, uncovered the common causes of wrongful convictions, and highlighted the need for a nationwide network of lawyers providing postconviction representation to those with claims of innocence.