Welcome
The Post-Conviction Justice Project is a clinical program run by professors and certified student legal interns at the University of Southern California Law School. The Project, headed by Professors Heidi Rummel and Michael Brennan, represents parole-eligible inmates serving indeterminate life sentences for murder in California state prisons.Learn More…
Featured client
Glenda Jo Virgil, 65, has served 25 years for killing her physically, mentally, and emotionally abusive partner who, after beating Ms. Virgil for several hours, threatened to kill her to prevent her from leaving him. Ms. Virgil is wheelchair-bound and in poor health. She has been diagnosed with aggressive form of lung cancer and has suffered four pulmonary embolisms.
Last August, a panel of the Parole Board denied her parole for three more years for smoking cigarettes in prison. Read more here.
Who we are
Under the supervision of faculty members at the University of Southern California Law School, a team of certified student legal interns represents a variety of parole-eligible inmates. Learn more about these students and their experiences working on their cases by clicking here.
Join the Project
In the summer, the Project hires six first-year students, who stay on for the following academic year. If you are currently a student at the University of Southern California Law School, click here to download the application to join the Post-Conviction Justice Project for the summer of 2013. The application is due by March 22, 2013 in the box outside room 326A.
Contacting the Post-Conviction Justice Project
The Post-Conviction Justice Project (PCJP) has limited resources and receives numerous requests for assistance. If you believe your case fits within the parameters of the types of cases PCJP handles, please send a brief description of your case by mail to: Post-Conviction Justice Project, USC Gould School of Law, 699 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90089-0074. Do not send original paperwork. You can expect to receive a response in 4-8 weeks only if we can assist you. Unfortunately, we cannot respond to every request we receive. If you are not a prospective client or contacting the clinic regarding one: Please email the Post-Conviction Justice Project by clicking here.