Post-Conviction Justice Project
Founded in 1981 by former USC Law Professor Dennis E. Curtis, PCJP began by representing clients at the Federal Correctional Institution at Terminal Island, a medium-security prison for men. In 1993, faculty directors applied for and received federal funding to begin a new program representing inmates at the California Institution for Women (CIW).
Since 1981, more than 600 USC students have worked with over 4,300 clients in matters ranging from consultation to representation in parole hearings, as well as lawsuits involving civil and parental rights, custody and visitation.
Students also investigate, research, and draft habeas petitions on behalf of battered women who were convicted of murder for killing their abusers. Before 1992, most attorneys did not present evidence of a battering relationship and its effects on a defendant as a legal defense to a murder charge. PCJP students work on petitions arguing that had such evidence been used in the client's trial, she likely would not have been convicted of murder, and, for this reason, the conviction should be overturned. If the client is recharged, she at least would have the option of using expert testimony to help mitigate her culpability, so that she may be convicted of a less serious offense.
