Cardozo is proud to be the birthplace of the Innocence Project. Founded at Cardozo in 1992 it radically reformed criminal justice through the use of DNA testing in cases where incarcerated people were wrongfully convicted. For over 30 years Cardozo students worked alongside Innocence Project lawyers, learning how to challenge cases in which innocent people were languishing in prisons across the country. Cardozo is a pioneer in clinical education. When the clinic was launched the concept of opening cases up for review and overturning convictions was a radical idea. It is now widespread. Cardozo has helped change the course of criminal justice in the United States, and we continue to fight for justice for all.
Co-Director, Barry Scheck
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The Innocence Project was founded in 1992. For over thirty years Cardozo clinical students worked with prisoners, crime labs, prosecutors, and defense lawyers, and reviewed case histories, including transcripts, medical reports, and appellate briefs. They litigated in trial and appellate courts across the country on complex procedural and constitutional issues that arise when getting access to evidence, testing, and proving innocence. During it's time at Cardozo, The Innocence Project demonstrated that wrongful convictions are not isolated or rare events but instead arise from systemic defects. Now an independent nonprofit organization, the Innocence Project continues its mission.
Cardozo students benefit from this rich history. The law school is a pioneer in justice initiatives including the Freedom Clinic at Cardozo's Perlmutter Center for Rights and Justice, as well as in the Criminal Defense Clinic and the Civil Rights Clinic, where students seek to right wrongs, overturn wrongful convictions and seek justice for imprisoned individuals with overly harsh sentences.