Huddled in a trial advocacy classroom on LMU Loyola Law School’s downtown L.A. campus during the first week of the spring semester, a cadre of evening students took a break from their jobs, studies, and families to do something truly transformative: pursue justice for wrongfully convicted defendants.
The Loyola Project for the Innocent’s (LPI) second-annual Volunteer Night in January brought together students from an array of backgrounds and included students from the Hybrid JD Evening Program, which blends in-person, synchronous, and asynchronous instruction to allow for a regular on-campus commitment of one night a week. Additionally, the law school debuted this spring semester two new clinics exclusively for Hybrid JD students: a remote Workers’ Rights Clinic and a hybrid California Appellate Law Clinic.
“Flexibility and access to pro bono opportunities for our evening students is a top priority for us,” said Elizabeth Bluestein, executive director of the Loyola Social Justice Law Clinic. “We want all students to have meaningful opportunities to participate in our pro bono and clinical offerings and other experiential learning programs.”
The evening began with an introduction by LPI Investigating Attorney Stacey Nelson, who welcomed students and provided an overview of the critical work ahead. "Tonight, you’ll be taking the first step in reviewing cases from incarcerated individuals who maintain their innocence," Nelson told the students. "Each letter you read could be the beginning of uncovering a wrongful conviction, and your efforts here play a direct role in our mission to seek justice."
Following the introduction, students participated in a training session on screening prisoner case files to identify potentially viable innocence claims. Under Nelson’s guidance, they learned to review letters of inquiry, appellate briefs, and trial evidence—developing critical skills in legal analysis and case evaluation. After the training, participants worked alongside LPI staff to assess cases in three key areas: habeas and related petitions for actual innocence claims, parole board advocacy, and clemency opportunities.
Students also heard from Adam Grant ’10, LPI’s co-founder and senior director, who shared how his own journey into innocence work began as a Loyola evening student. As a third-year law student, Grant came across the case of Obie Anthony, a man wrongfully convicted of murder, and persuaded Professor Laurie Levenson to take it on. Working alongside the Northern California Innocence Project, LPI successfully secured Anthony’s release in 2011—the same year the clinic was officially founded.
“We receive about 800 letters a year from individuals incarcerated in California state prisons, most of them claiming innocence,” Grant explained. “For us to even consider a case, it must meet specific criteria: The individual must be indigent, have a claim of actual innocence on a felony conviction obtained in L.A. County, and the conviction must be final.”
Each year, LPI receives hundreds of letters from individuals across the country who maintain their innocence. These letters are often the first step in uncovering wrongful convictions. With the help of dedicated student volunteers, LPI is able to carefully review each case to determine eligibility for further investigation or legal representation.
“During the pandemic, a backlog was created in the intake process. Hopefully, with your help, we’ll be able to screen through all the cases in front of you today and get caught up,” Nelson told the students.
Loyola Law School requires all students to complete 40 hours of pro bono work before graduation. For evening students who are juggling full-time careers outside of school, opportunities like LPI’s Volunteer Night are invaluable.
As the only law school wrongful conviction clinic dedicated to serving L.A. County, LPI plays a vital role in addressing the region’s high rate of felony convictions. Since its inception, LPI has secured justice for 22 clients who collectively served 524 years in prison for crimes they did not commit. To learn more about the Loyola Project for the Innocent and other volunteer opportunities, visit their website here.