About the Arizona Justice Project: Helping Inmates with Wrongful Convictions. Innocent Until Proven Guilty.

Established in 1998, The Justice Project was the fifth organization in the United States established to help inmates overturn wrongful convictions. Today, there are more than 40 similar organizations throughout the country.

Attorney Larry Hammond founded The Justice Project, along with other concerned and dedicated professionals involved with Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice. Larry is also a Founding Member of the law firm of Osborn Maledon, and leads the firm’s criminal defense department.

Previously, the Project was housed at the Phoenix law firm of Osborn Maledon where the firm set aside a room for the files, paid for all posting and mailing materials, and allowed Larry’s assistant, Donna Toland, to devote a huge portion of her time to coordinating the cases and maintaining the database. The Justice Project’s extensive database and records are housed at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.

Relocation of the Project was made possible by the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education who awarded the Project a grant in 2008, which funded the Project’s move from the Phoenix law firm of Osborn Maledon to ASU. The Project was also able to name its first Executive Director, Carrie Sperling, in January 2008. At Arizona State University, the Project is able to thrive in the academic community.

Very early on, The Justice Project realized that the involvement of the law school community would be critical to its success in overturning wrongful convictions. Thanks to the tireless efforts and enthusiasm of Professors Bob Bartels and Chad Noreuil at ASU, and Professor Andy Silverman at U of A, the best emerging legal talent is able to work on the most important issues facing the criminal justice system.

Students at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and at the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona partake in Justice Project case reviews, clemency proceedings, policy reform initiatives and fundraising events. Student and attorney volunteers are imperative to the Project’s operation and success.

The Justice Project relies on a host of other volunteers and partners, to help inmates overturn wrongful convictions, including attorneys, paralegals, investigators, psychologists and psychiatrists, forensics experts and more.

Contact the Arizona Justice Project if you or someone you know needs help overturning a wrongful conviction. Remember, you are innocent until proven guilty.