COURSE DESCRIPTION 2012 2013

Advanced Legal Writing: Innocence Project Seminar

Prof. Stephanie Roberts Hartung,

3 credits day; 3 credits evening.

Will provide an opportunity for students to improve their legal research and writing skills while doing pro bono case work for the New England Innocence Project (NEIP). The Innocence Project is a national organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. The broad focus of this course is on the potential for wrongful convictions in the American criminal justice system. In particular, we will discuss whether the criminal justice system results in significant numbers of individuals wrongly convicted of crimes they did not commit. In doing so, we will study selected topics in criminal procedure including methods of police investigation, interrogation and identification of suspects, and post-conviction procedures for challenging criminal convictions. This course will be structured around work on an active NEIP case. This work will involve reviewing extensive court documents including police reports, trial transcripts, witness statements and other investigative and scientific reports relating to the case. It may also involve conducting additional investigation, if necessary. Our class will work as a team to evaluate the strength of the innocence claims and each student will ultimately write a motion for a new trial

Enrollment is limited: 15

Elective Course

Meets Skills Menu Requirement

Meets Civil Litigation Concentration Requirements

May Fulfill Legal Writing Requirement

Final Paper Required