About the Innocence Network
About Us
The Innocence Network is an affiliation of 67 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. Currently, the Innocence Network consists of 55 U.S. based and 12 non-U.S. based organizations.
The majority of the Innocence Network’s members are based in the United States and are mainly focused on criminal justice reform in the United States, but the Network also includes non-U.S. organizations that meet its membership criteria. The Network maintains an International Committee, and we strongly encourage the development of sister networks across the world, such as Red Inocente, recognizing them as critically important partners in this work globally.
Please contact the Innocence Network Support Unit with any questions about Network membership or the membership process. If you are seeking legal assistance, please contact the Network member in your area.
Important Note: the Innocence Network Support Unit does not review claims of innocence. If you or a family member are reaching out with an inquiry for legal help or assistance, please click here to find an Innocence Network member organization in your area.
Network Statement on Exoneree Rights
As advocates for exonerees, we recognize the great need to make their transition easier by enhancing the availability of and access to the necessary assistance and resources. We are committed to that effort and believe exonerees should have the right to the following resources and services upon their release from prison, as needed or desired by the exoneree.
Network Statement Concerning Victims
In seeking the exoneration of innocent individuals who have been convicted of crimes, the Network is acutely aware that our representation may understandably concern victims of those crimes, as well as family and friends of those victims. We recognize that our involvement in many cases may create pain or anguish. Although these consequences are unintended, the Innocence Network seeks to minimize them, while remaining devoted to its mission to exonerate innocent individuals and reform the system. In so doing, the Network believes that it shares several fundamental values with victims.
History
The advent of new DNA testing methods in the early 1990s gave rise to a number of organizations dedicated to proving claims of innocence that had been almost impossible to prove without DNA. As research on the causes of wrongful convictions, including eyewitness misidentification and false confessions, proliferated, claims of innocence based on non-DNA evidence were on the rise, as were the number of innocence organizations, largely housed in law schools in clinical programs. By 2000, there were 10 programs that met in Chicago for what would be the first Innocence Network Conference, now held annually each spring.
In 2004, the member organizations decided to define their association as a loosely affiliated network. A group of organization directors developed a planning committee to create membership criteria and a structure to guide the work of the members. The first 15 official members of the Network were admitted in November 2005, and a Network Executive Board was established.
Over the last fifteen years, the Network has more than quadrupled in size with members in the United States as well as Australia, Canada, Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Taiwan, Argentina, South Africa, Italy, and France. Its members include independent nonprofits as well as organizations affiliated in varying degrees with law schools or other educational institutions, units of public defender offices, and pro bono sections of law firms.
Job Openings at Network Organizations
Staff Attorney, Georgia Innocence Project
Title: STAFF ATTORNEY Position type: Full time, salaried, exempt Salary: $59,000+ (depending on experience) Benefits: Generous flex spending benefits credits, PTO, and professional development The Georgia Innocence Project (“GIP”) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing pro bono legal services to people convicted in Georgia of crimes they did not commit. GIP works to exonerate the imprisoned innocent, prevent future wrongful convictions through education and policy reform, and connect the exonerated with resources to rebuild their lives. We are seeking a full-time Staff Attorney to assist in investigating and litigating Georgia cases as described below. This position is based in our office in Atlanta, and will require travel throughout Georgia. The staff attorney reports directly to the Executive Director or designee. PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Investigate and oversee investigations into post-conviction innocence claims in Georgia Gather and review entire case records (trial and appellate records, police and lab reports, prosecutor and DOC files) to understand and assess the factual and procedural history, generating extensive work product documents and memos in the process Identify and take steps necessary to uncover and analyze any new evidence of innocence Communicate with clients, defense attorneys, prosecutors, witnesses and others Consult with experts in various fields Draft and litigate motions for access to evidence and DNA testing Litigate post-conviction innocence claims utilizing DNA testing or other newly discovered evidence in state court, federal court and/or relevant administrative bodies Supervise law student interns, as needed Give talks and presentations on case work and law, as appropriate Regularly communicate with GIP staff about the status of cases QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE... read more
Latino Initiative Attorney – Illinois Innocence Project
The University of Illinois at Springfield Illinois Innocence Project (IIP)will be hiring a staff attorney with a specific focus on developing its Latino Innocence Initiative. This individual should be licensed to practice in Illinois, reside in Northern Illinois and be bilingual in Spanish. Duties will include: Working on post-conviction cases, many of which are already identified, of Latino inmates who IIP believes have a meritorious innocence claim and some potential for having their convictions overturned. Networking with law firms, the Mexican Consulate, and other legal organizations to obtain support and/ or collaboration in pursuing such cases. Networking with community organizations that have an interest in furthering the legal rights of Latinos in prison to educate them about the work of IIP and identify individuals in prison who have been convicted of serious felonies and are actually innocent of the crimes for which they were convicted. Helping IIP begin planning for discussions, meetings or a conference-either regional or national in nature-to identify proposed policy to help minimize the wrongful conviction of Latinos in Illinois. Given the receipt of grant funding, IIP is ready to move forward in this work as soon as we can identify and hire a qualified individual. Please call or write Larry Golden, IIP Founding Director, as soon as possible: 217-553- 7171 or... read more
Strategic Litigation Counsel, Arizona Justice Project
The Arizona Justice Project (“AJP”), a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to seeking justice for the innocent and correcting cases of manifest injustice in the Arizona criminal justice system. With a mission to seek justice for the marginalized and forgotten, the AJP provides pro bono legal representation to indigent individuals who have been wrongfully convicted in Arizona. In Arizona, people in prison seeking help to prove their innocence in the post-conviction setting often turn to the AJP. In the AJP’s eighteen years of operation, the AJP has secured the release of 26 individuals in Arizona. There is an ongoing need for the legal services of the AJP, as well as a need to examine how these wrongful convictions occurred and improve the system to prevent such injustices from continuing to occur. Title: Strategic Litigation Counsel Position Type: Full-Time, Salaried Employee Contract Length: 24 Months, Renewable depending upon funding Salary: $65,000+ (based on experience) Benefits: Health Insurance, PTO, Holiday Pay, and Paid AZ Annual Bar Dues Objectives for Strategic Litigation Counsel This position will focus on improving the accuracy of the justice system by employing avenues of strategic litigation and collaborating with lawyers, judges and policy makers on issues highlighted in wrongful conviction cases. The work will include identifying cases that must be re-examined based on flaws in the underlying conviction. Counsel will also be involved in pending cases addressing specific issues critical to the AJP’s mission and providing support in cases involving unreliable forensic evidence. Finally, counsel will collaborate with criminal justice stakeholders, such as law enforcement agencies and policy makers, to strengthen the system by implementing best practices and... read more
Supervising Attorney University of Missouri School of Law Innocence Clinic, Midwest Innocence Project
The Midwest Innocence Project (MIP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit legal defense organization dedicated to representing wrongfully convicted prison inmates in our five- state region (MO, KS, NE, IA, AR) who can prove their innocence through the use of DNA testing and other newly discovered evidence. The MIP seeks a candidate for a full- time Supervising Attorney position in Columbia, St. Louis, or Kansas City, MO. This position reports directly to MIP’s Executive Director and is responsible for effectuating the following job responsibilities. The Supervising Attorney position will be responsible for directing the University of Missouri School of Law’s Innocence Clinic and teaching the Wrongful Conviction Course. The clinic is responsible for reviewing applications arising from convictions involving eyewitness identifications and occurring within Missouri for the instances where DNA could prove an applicant’s innocence. The Supervising Attorney will work with MIP staff; supervise law student interns; engage in case investigations; and participate in litigation and case preparation. This is a fulltime grant position with a two- year term beginning January 1, 2020. The position is expected to continue after the termination of grant-funding. This position requires excellent research and writing skills; experience in computer- assisted legal research; word processing capability; time management skills; and the ability to understand and manage complex factual and legal issues and supervise intake processes. The Supervising Attorney must maintain an active caseload while working with and providing oversight for law students and partner attorneys in conducting records collection and investigation. The Supervising Attorney must have a strong capacity and experience in direct litigation and providing oversight for litigation processes. Responsibilities include Serve as an adjunct... read more
Director of Intake and Case Evaluation, Innocence Project
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: The Innocence Project was founded in 1992 by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University to assist the wrongly convicted who could be proven innocent through DNA testing. The Innocence Project’s groundbreaking use of DNA technology to free innocent people has provided irrefutable proof that wrongful convictions are not isolated or rare events but instead arise from systemic defects. Now an independent nonprofit organization closely affiliated with Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, the Innocence Project’s mission is to free the staggering numbers of innocent people who remain incarcerated and to bring substantive reform to the system responsible for their unjust imprisonment. To learn more, please visit www.innocenceproject.org. JOB SUMMARY: The Innocence Project is seeking a highly skilled people and process manager to fill the role of Director of Intake and Case Evaluation. The Director of Intake and Case Evaluation manages a high volume, highly detailed, multi-stage process of evaluation that screens individual claims of innocence for direct representation by Innocence Project staff attorneys. The Intake Department processes thousands of letters each year from individuals seeking representation. Those initial letters set off a chain of evaluation resulting in detailed analysis of claims along with the review of legal documents to determine whether there is a viable claim of innocence. Currently cases are evaluated to determine whether DNA testing can prove an innocence claim. In upcoming years, the process will be expanded to include the evaluation of cases more broadly. The Director is responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of this complicated operation, revising and... read more
Intake Attorney, Pennsylvania Innocence Project
Pa IP Mission: The Pennsylvania Innocence Project is a non-profit, public interest law firm dedicated to exonerating those who have been convicted of crimes they did not commit and preventing innocent people from being convicted. That mission is coupled with a twofold educational mission: training law students and practicing lawyers to recognize and litigate valid innocence claims; and raising the consciousness of lawmakers and citizens about the systemic causes of wrongful convictions and the ways to safeguard against them. Position Overview: The Intake Attorney will manage the Project’s case intake/screening process and supervise directly the more than one hundred law student interns and pro bono lawyers engaged in reviewing cases submitted by incarcerated Pennsylvanians. The Intake Attorney will be responsible for auditing and reforming our current intake system to ensure that we are screening cases as effectively and quickly as possible. While the Intake Attorney will be integral to the success of the office and the ultimate representation of our clients, this is a non- litigation position. The Intake Attorney will not have their own caseload. Qualifications: 1. Juris Doctor degree; preference given to barred attorneys and/or attorneys completing clerkships 2. Excellent management and organization skills 3. Strong written and verbal communication skills 4. Sense of humor and willingness to be a team player 5. Familiarity with or willingness to learn case management databases, including Salesforce and Clio 6. Project management and/or volunteer training experience preferred 7. Dual language proficiency preferred Specific Responsibilities: Manage case review process: Acquaint law student interns and pro bono lawyers with the Project’s review procedures and requirements; together with the Project’s paralegal, assign case review... read more
Staff Attorney: Strategic Litigation Department, Innocence Project
JOB SUMMARY:The Strategic Litigation Department’s goal is to reduce courts reliance on faulty and unreliable evidence. Focusing on the leading causes of wrongful convictions, the team litigates in the areas of forensic science, eyewitness identification, and unreliable confessions. The Staff Attorney, Strategic Litigation reports to the Director of Strategic Litigation. The department is currently composed of a Director, three staff attorneys and two paralegals. Staff attorneys collaborate with each other as well as staff in the Legal, Policy and Science & Research Departments. The staff attorney hired to fill this position will work primarily on the Innocence Project’s eyewitness identification and interrogation/false confession law reform initiatives. This is a full time position and requires travel. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:The staff attorney engages in all aspects of litigation and advocacy, which include:• Amicus curiae briefs in state and federal court, including the United States Supreme Court.• Consulting work with defense counsel at pre-trial, appellate and post-conviction litigation on strategy in criminal cases, including drafting memoranda, affidavits and briefs.• Conducting legal research and analysis.• Evaluating social science research and incorporating scientific research into legal arguments.• Researching prospects for new litigation, including both factual and legal claims.• Assisting with the development of national litigation strategies.• Preparing reports, training and advocacy materials.• Conducting trainings and making presentations.• Providing support and assistance to Innocence Project network affiliates and cooperating attorneys. QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE: • Between 4 -10 years litigation, appellate and/or clerkship experience required. • Criminal justice, indigent defense or related civil rights experience required. Applicants with experience in related impact litigation are also encouraged to apply. • Experience with and the ability to understand,... read more
Staff Attorney, Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project
Job Summary The Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project’s (MAIP) Staff Attorney represents clients in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia who have been convicted of crimes they did not commit and is part of a team that helps evaluate cases. The Staff Attorney works under the direction of the Legal Director and on a team that includes a post-graduate legal fellow, a staff investigator, a paralegal, and two attorneys at a Baltimore affiliate. The Staff Attorney’s docket includes: cases that still are in the investigative stage, requiring extensive factual development to determine whether there is a valid innocence claim; and cases in which an innocence claim already has been developed and are being litigated through a variety of avenues, including freestanding innocence claims, post-conviction DNA testing, federal habeas, state post-conviction, and the pardon process. In addition to their own docket, the Staff Attorney is an active part of the legal team. This involves helping to manage the externship program with law students from George Washington University Law School, actively participating in weekly case meetings to help determine which cases MAIP should investigate, and to brainstorm with colleagues about their cases. Essential job functions Manage investigative and post-conviction docket Craft litigation strategy Develop investigative plans in conjunction with staff investigator Conduct some investigations and manage witness relationshipsWork with experts as appropriate and necessaryWrite extensive motions & briefsNegotiate with prosecutors Conduct hearings Communicate with Clients and family members regarding casesWork collaboratively with co-counsel from large law firmsSupervise investigators and paralegals on your cases MAIP’s legal team Attend and participate in a weekly case meetingCarefully read screening memos and be prepared to offer... read more