What Are Innocence Organizations?
Innocence organizations around the world provide free legal services to the wrongfully convicted and work to improve justice systems. They are independent organizations that often work together. The Innocence Project (located in NYC) is an independently funded organization, as are all innocence organizations (including those that use “Innocence Project” in their names). The California Innocence Project receives no funding from the Innocence Project nor any other innocence organization. As a nonprofit organization, the California Innocence Project relies on volunteer and donor support to do its work.
California Innocence Project
The California Innocence Project (CIP) is known all over the world, and it started right here at California Western School of Law. Its interns have helped CIP attorneys free 40 innocent people from prison. As a CWSL student, you can apply to intern with CIP and gain real world experience by learning about wrongful convictions, and working to help free the innocent.
Why Is Your Support Needed?
Our clients do not have the resources to prove their innocence. The California Innocence Project provides pro bono services and pays all of the investigation and litigation costs for all of our cases—more than 1,500 cases each year. As an independent organization, we must raise funds to continue our valuable work. We cannot free the innocent without help from the public. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the California Innocence Project here.
Take Action
We need your help!
Volunteer
The California Innocence Project needs volunteer attorneys, investigators, interns, and expert witnesses. If you have the ability to assist us in our effort to free the innocent, please help!
Donate
Impact Lives. Take Action Now. All donations are 100% tax deductible and go towards investigation and litigation expenses to free our innocent clients. Please donate today!
Freed Clients
Justice finally served.
Nationwide Exonerations
Death Row Exonerations
CIP Clients Freed
Years CIP Clients Spent In Prison
If it weren’t for the California Innocence Project I wouldn’t have played football, I wouldn’t be working.
I always maintained my innocence. The California Innocence Project believed in me and fought with me for my freedom.
I truly appreciate the hard work that you all have done to help with my case and I thank you from the bottom of my heart!
How to Submit a Case
The California Innocence Project accepts cases from those claiming wrongful conviction in Southern California. Learn how to submit a claim of innocence to the California Innocence Project.
Innocence Network
There are more than 60 innocence organizations around the world. For help outside of Southern California, refer to the list of other innocence organizations in the United States and the world.
Other Resources
The California Innocence Project does not handle civil cases, sentencing issues, or complaints regarding prison conditions. For other services and groups that may assist in various legal matters, see our list of resources.