Western Michigan University Cooley Law School is pleased to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its Innocence Project in May.
As part of the nationwide Innocence Network, the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project's (CIP) mission is to provide legal assistance to, and secure the release of, persons who are wrongfully imprisoned for crimes they did not commit and to provide its students with a one-of-a-kind learning experience as the only such DNA project in the state. To date, the CIP has screened more than 6,000 cases and is responsible for eight exonerations, and helped with two other exonerations. Since 2018, the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project has been working in partnership with Michigan Attorney General's Conviction Integrity Unit and the Wayne County Conviction Integrity Unit.
WMU-Cooley will host two events in honor of the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project's 20th anniversary.
The WMU-Cooley Innocence Project Exonerees Panel & Art Show will take place Friday, May 6, from noon to 2 p.m. at the WMU-Cooley Law School Cooley Center, 300 S. Capitol Ave. in Lansing
During this event, attendees will hear WMU-Cooley Innocence Project's own exonerees' stories and have the opportunity to ask questions related to their wrongful convictions and life after being released.
Many inmates and exonerees utilize the arts as a creative outlet and a way to express themselves. WMU-Cooley Innocence Project exonerees and clients are no exception. The creative works of several of the clients and exonerees will be on display in the lobby.
This event is free, but space is limited.
The WMU-Cooley Innocence Project 20th Anniversary Gala will be hosted Friday, May 6, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Country Club of Lansing, 2200 Moores River Drive in Lansing.
Antony Ray Hinton will be the keynote speaker during the dinner. Hinton was one of the longest serving death row prisoners in Alabama history and among the longest serving condemned prisoners to be freed after presenting evidence of innocence. He is a nationally known champion for criminal justice reform and a compelling speaker and author. His book, "The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row" (2018), is a New York Times bestseller, and received the 2019 Christopher Award, and was included on Oprah's Book Club Summer 2018.
Tickets for the gala cost $100. All proceeds from this event support the continued work of the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project. To order tickets for the gala, visit www.cooley.edu/academics/experiential-learning/innocence-project.
Additional sponsorship opportunities are available for the gala. Those interested may e-mail advancement@cooley.edu or call 517-371-5140, ext.2014 for sponsorship opportunities or to make a gift in support of the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project.
