Criminal Justice Advocacy Clinic
The Criminal Justice Advocacy Clinic provides students with an opportunity to advocate for criminal system reform on behalf of incarcerated individuals and those facing criminal charges in Western New York.
CONTACT US
Alexandra Harrington, Director
University at Buffalo
School of Law
507 O’Brian Hall, North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260
716-645-2108, aharr@buffalo.edu
The clinic serves to expand criminal defense and reform capacity in Western New York. Student attorneys in the Criminal Justice Advocacy Clinic will take the lead on client casework on behalf of incarcerated individuals, in addition to policy advocacy and community outreach efforts.
Case work includes resentencing, parole, and post-conviction hearings. For their first semester, students will represent clients seeking resentencing under the 2019 Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act, preparing for hearings before the Board of Parole, or appealing parole or resentencing denials. Student attorneys will be assigned a client and will work on preparing their clients’ resentencing applications, parole packet, or appeal, as well as exploring other avenues of relief. Clinic work will involve visiting clients incarcerated in New York correctional facilities. Clinic students must have availability on Fridays to visit with clients.
Clinic students also engage, in partnership with local organizations, in criminal system policy reforms, including in the areas of police oversight and accountability, as well as criminal system responses to COVID-19.