Wrongful Conviction Help in California
Find legal aid organizations, innocence projects, and advocacy groups dedicated to helping those impacted by wrongful convictions in California.
Loyola Project for the Innocent (LPI)
www.lls.edu/academics/experientiallearning/clinics/projectfortheinnocent/Operating out of LMU Loyola Law School, LPI provides dedicated post-conviction legal assistance to individuals wrongfully convicted in Southern California, with a core focus on actual innocence claims in Los Angeles County.
Los Angeles Innocence Project (LAIP)
www.innocencela.orgLAIP offers pro bono investigative and legal representation to indigent individuals across California. The project leverages advanced forensic science and rigorous investigation to overturn wrongful convictions and advocate for systemic criminal justice reform.
California Western Innocence and Justice Clinic (CWIJC)
www.cwsl.edu/experiential_learning/clinics/california_western_innocence_and_justice_clinic/about_ijc.htmlBased at the California Western School of Law in San Diego, this hands-on legal clinic investigates and litigates viable claims of factual innocence for incarcerated individuals across select Southern California counties.
After Innocence
www.after-innocence.orgHeadquartered in Oakland, this non-profit focuses entirely on the post-exoneration journey, offering free, lifetime re-entry support, healthcare navigation, and financial counseling to individuals rebuilding after a wrongful conviction.
California Innocence Project
innocenceproject.org/states/california/A prominent legal clinic dedicated to identifying, investigating, and litigating cases of factual innocence in California, while actively working to reform the state's laws to protect the wrongfully accused.
UCI Law Criminal Justice Clinic
www.law.uci.edu/academics/real-life-learning/clinics/criminal-justice.htmlThis University of California, Irvine legal clinic provides critical investigative assistance and post-conviction legal representation to individuals facing systemic injustice and wrongful conviction.
Berkeley Law Death Penalty Clinic
www.law.berkeley.edu/experiential/clinics/death-penalty-clinicA specialized legal clinic at UC Berkeley focused on intensive representation and advocacy for individuals facing capital punishment, frequently uncovering systemic errors and wrongful convictions in death penalty cases.
UCLA Criminal Justice Program
www.law.ucla.edu/academics/centers/criminal-justice-programAn academic and advocacy hub at UCLA Law that addresses systemic flaws in the penal system through rigorous research, policy reform, and targeted initiatives to prevent wrongful convictions.
Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth
www.cwcy.orgA national advocacy group and legal resource that specializes in the unique vulnerabilities of juveniles, working to exonerate wrongfully convicted youth and prevent false confessions.
The Innocence Center
theinnocencecenter.org/An independent, non-profit law firm based in San Diego that coordinates with experts and students to secure the release of wrongfully convicted individuals across California and help them successfully re-enter society.
Northern California Innocence Project (NCIP)
ncip.org/Operating out of Santa Clara University School of Law, NCIP provides pro bono legal services to Northern California inmates with provable claims of factual innocence while championing statewide policy reform.
The Innocence Commission - San Francisco
sfdistrictattorney.org/policy/innocence-commission/A groundbreaking volunteer expert panel that reviews claims of wrongful conviction within San Francisco, providing objective factual findings to the District Attorney to help vacate unjust sentences.
San Francisco Public Defender's Office
www.sfpublicdefender.orgA robust public defense agency featuring specialized post-conviction and integrity resources dedicated to identifying judicial errors, uncovering misconduct, and freeing wrongfully convicted individuals.
Southern California Legal Aid Foundation
scfla.orgA foundational legal aid network providing low-income individuals with vital legal support, systemic advocacy, and resources to combat unjust sentencing and civil rights violations throughout Southern California.
Get Help in California
Fill out the form below and a legal resource in California may be able to assist with your situation — at no cost to you.