INNOCENCE PROJECT
The Innocence Project works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone. Founded in 1992 by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, the organization is now an independent nonprofit. Our work is guided by science and grounded in antiracism. Since our inception, the Innocence Project has used DNA and other scientific advancements to prove wrongful conviction. To date, we have helped to free or exonerate more than 200 people who, collectively, spent more than 3,600 years behind bars. Our efforts have led to the passage of more than 200 transformative state laws and federal reforms. Today, the Innocence Project continues to fight for freedom, drive structural change, and advance the innocence movement.
Race and Wrongful Conviction Innovator
NEW YORK, NY
Hybrid or Remote: Hybrid*
Supervisor: Special Advisor on Race and Wrongful Conviction
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Race and Wrongful Convictions Innovator will work to build out racial justice aspects of the Innocence Project’s work. The Innovator will join the Innocence Project (IP) approximately two years into a strategic plan that created a new racial justice focus area, in which the organization is deepening its ability to address the role of racial discrimination in wrongful convictions. The Innovator will assist the Special Advisor on Race and Wrongful Conviction to expand this focus area.
The Innovator will create a race and wrongful convictions library to ensure that IP researchers, litigators, policy advocates, and communication professionals have comprehensive resources at their fingertips. The Innovator will monitor weekly developments related to race and wrongful conviction.
The Innovator will help the IP understand the role that race is playing in the cases of its clients and those who apply for representation. The Innovator will also track data that will help the IP critically assess its process to ensure that resources are being equitably deployed and that racial justice issues in cases are being addressed. In service of these goals, the Innovator will track relevant metrics about IP case demographics related to race and wrongful convictions, providing periodic reports to the Special Advisor and IP senior leadership.
The Innovator will provide programmatic support for the Special Advisor’s work to educate those outside the IP about race and wrongful convictions. This will include assisting with the organization of IP convenings that will bring together outside researchers and advocates to understand the state of the research and develop partnerships on this subject. The Innovator will also prepare materials and provide administrative support for the Special Advisor’s speaking engagements.
DESIRED SKILLS
- Strong oral and written communication skills
- Attention to detail and strong organizational skills
- Familiarity with and interest in racial justice and criminal legal system reform issues
- Ability to conduct scholarly research (using databases like Westlaw, Lexis, SSRN, etc.)
- Familiarity with technology relevant for an office environment (MS Office, Google Suite, etc.)
*REMOTE WORK DETAILS
Hybrid; three days per week in the New York City office (Wednesday “anchor” day).
Please note that the second Innovator role originally available at the Innocence Project, the Exoneration Innovator role, is no longer being offerred for the 2024-2025 WLI Program cycle.
The Race and Wrongful Conviction Innovator role is the only role available role at the Innocence Project.
