Law, Reform, and Redemption: 2024 Soll Lecture to Explore the Future of Cannabis Justice
Sarah Gersten, executive director and general counsel of the Last Prisoner Project, will deliver the Darrow K. Soll Memorial Criminal Law and Justice Lecture at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.
Gersten will explore the evolving landscape of cannabis law and justice reform. She will address the challenges and opportunities in ending criminal penalties for cannabis, releasing incarcerated individuals, and clearing criminal convictions. Drawing from her extensive experience in advocacy and legal work, Gersten will highlight the legal strategies and policy changes necessary to create a more just and equitable future for those impacted by outdated drug laws.
When: Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Where: Ares Auditorium, Room 164, University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, 1201 E. Speedway Blvd.
Who may attend: The lecture is free and open to the public.
About Sarah Gersten
Sarah Gersten is the executive director and general counsel of the Last Prisoner Project (LPP), a national nonprofit dedicated to reforming our criminal justice system through progressive drug policy. Sarah was part of the founding team at LPP and after working to successfully launch the organization became the inaugural executive director.
During her time at LPP, Gersten has built and led advocacy campaigns aimed at ending criminal penalties for cannabis, releasing those incarcerated for cannabis, and clearing cannabis criminal convictions. Under her leadership LPP has successfully passed numerous pieces of legislation across the country and helped to enact executive orders designed to automatically release individuals from unjust incarceration and provide for state-initiated expungement.
In addition to the organization’s policy and advocacy work, Gersten spearheaded the organization’s Cannabis Justice Initiative which has represented over 300 clients pro bono in their fight for freedom. During her tenure the organization has also pursued a radical model of direct, unrestricted grantmaking to constituents and their families, disbursing over $3 million to directly impacted individuals through reentry and commissary grants.
Before founding LPP, Gersten worked as an attorney at a congressional agency where she focused on legislative policy, Sarah co-founded a cannabis centric law firm where she led the firm's pro bono initiative, taking on expungement and record sealing cases. Gersten went on to co-found and serve as CEO for a legal tech startup that offers affordable legal solutions for small cannabis business owners, as well as free expungement services.
Gersten is a member of the National Cannabis Bar Association, the NORML Legal Committee and the National Lawyers Guild. She received her BA from Tulane University and her JD from Harvard Law School. She has been featured on CNBC, Bloomberg, BBC, and in USA Today, Rolling Stone, the Washington Post, Forbes, Business Insider, Esquire, the Hill, the Appeal, and Law360.