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Innocence Clinic
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The Innocence Clinic is dedicated to identifying and rectifying wrongful convictions and is a clinic committed to exonerating innocent individuals and combating injustice. The clinic represents cases involving innocent individuals incarcerated for a minimum of 10 years who have new evidence ranging from recanting witnesses to new witnesses discovered by students to prosecutorial misconduct and ineffective assistance of counsel. The clinic also accepts cases involving DNA evidence. The majority of the cases handled by the clinic involve serious offenses such as rape and murder and the majority of our clients are serving life sentences.

In this hands-on project, law students have the opportunity for live client representation and the responsibility of:

Investigating innocence claims and litigating post-conviction motions when appropriate
Reexamining cases in their entirety and providing post-conviction representation to defendants with compelling claims to innocence
Contributing to the project through fact investigation, interviewing defendants and witnesses, and legal research and analysis

Students may also have the opportunity to research, draft, and file motions for post-conviction relief, and appear in court on behalf of those wrongfully convicted. Project responsibilities include detailed knowledge of the project's procedures and thorough documentation of actions taken on cases through memo writing. The entire project is paperless and requires extensive emailing and software involvement. Investigation of innocence claims includes case screening, witness and client interviews, motion writing, and research. Students may have the opportunity to litigate motions for post-conviction relief.

Time Commitment:

Ten (10) hours per week of field work/litigation/investigation/screening/memo writing and case documentation, and one hour of class time per week. Also (2) two hours of individual case staffing per week is required.

Class Requirements:

Class time will include a discussion of how to screen cases, case rounds, brainstorming, and post-conviction law.

Pre-requisites:

Students without CLI status will not be permitted to appear in court on behalf of clients.
Non-cli may participate in all other aspects of the clinic (interviewing clients and witnesses, fact investigation, and screening).
Prior experience and participation in the Wrongful Convictions Project Student Organization is preferable.

Co-requisites:

Wrongful Convictions: Causes and Remedies

In this companion course to the Miami Innocence Clinic students will explore areas such as federal and state habeas corpus, collateral remedies, and causes of wrongful convictions, scientific evidence, and DNA science. This course is a graded 2 credit lecture class.

Grading/Class size/Credits

The clinic is graded and meets both the writing and skills requirement. It is also a University wide CIVIC engagement course. Enrollment is limited and students will be selected by Professor Mourer. The class is open to all 2Ls and 3Ls and may be repeated in subsequent semesters. The project is 4 credits per semester.

Location & Contact Information:

Miami Law Innocence Clinic
3000 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 100
Miami, FL 33137
Phone: (305) 284-8115
E-mail: umwrongfulconvictions@gmail.com

OUR DIRECTORS

Director:
ProfessorSarah Mourer

Associate Director:
Instructor Craig Trocino

E-mail: umwrongfulconvictions@gmail.com

WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS PANEL DISCUSSION

In October 2011, some of the top experts in wrongful convictions spoke at Miami Law. The panel was moderated by Craig Trocino, Co-Director of Innocence Clinic. The panelists included:

Steven Drizen, Director of Northwestern Law's Center on Wrongful convictions
Keith Findley, Co-Director of Wisconsin Law's Innocence Project and current president of the Innocence Network
Robert Schehr, Executive Director of N. Arizona Justice Project
Billy Corben, Director and Producer of Cocaine Cowboys
Sarah Mourer, Director Miami Law's Innocence Clinic and Death Penalty Clinic

NATIONAL RECOGNITION

In the Innocence Clinic's first semester it was reviewed and accepted to be a member of the National Network of Innocence Projects. This honor provides the Project with opportunities and resources across the nation. Read article

RELATED STUDENT ORGANIZATION

The Wrongful Convictions Project focuses on public education and developing initiatives that raise public awareness of the prevalence, causes, and social costs of wrongful convictions. Students work to educate lawmakers, public defenders, state attorneys, and the general public and to promote substantive reform of the criminal justice system. Examples of the proactive reform promoted by the program include writing persuasive brochures to law enforcement agencies and sponsoring speakers to share first-hand accounts of wrongful convictions. Upper-level students may also get hands on experience providing legal research to incarcerated individuals. Participation in the Wrongful Convictions Project is great way to prepare for enrollment in the Innocence Clinic.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

This clinic has been chosen by The University of Miami's Office of Civic and Community Engagement as Academic Service Learning Courses as it:

Promotes the interrelationship of teaching, research, and service through theory, action and reflection in response to community needs.
Develops and translates academic knowledge, critical thinking, and community engagement into civic responsibility.
Fosters mutually beneficial collaborations between the university and the community to promote positive social change.

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