AALS Discussion Group

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Session Type: AALS Discussion Groups

Session Capacity: N/A

Location: Hilton New Orleans Riverside

Room: Churchill A2

Floor: Second Floor

This discussion group will bring together clinical law professors teaching state and federal post-conviction strategies for clients’ release from incarceration. The discussion will center the sentencing and mitigation theories underlying the clinics’ work and practical considerations for those currently teaching or considering second-chance advocacy. Themes will include: application of capital-style mitigation techniques to non-capital litigation; considerations when representing mentally ill or disabled clients; racial justice rationales for second-chance advocacy; and incorporating victim outreach into clinical practice. We will explore how to scale-up the clinics’ work by partnering with community law offices and providing training and research assistance to less-resourced practitioners.