Wrongful Convictions: Causes and Cures

American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section
Center on Wrongful Convictions at
Northwestern University School of Law
National Legal Aid and Defender Association

Registration Information

Recent developments in DNA testing have confirmed the long-standing fear that individuals can be convicted of crimes they did not commit. There have been more than 200 DNA exonerations in the United States, which typically involved serious violent felonies, some of which were capital crimes. A number of exonerations have also occurred in cases not involving scientific evidence. Wrongful conviction of the innocent not only destroys the lives of those convicted and their families; it allows the actual perpetrator of the crime to go unpunished and to be free to commit additional crimes.

This symposium will focus on the causes of wrongful convictions, such as mistaken eyewitness testimony, faulty forensic evidence, unreliable informants, and false confessions, as well as addressing issues raised by prosecutors and defense counsel. Approaches to reducing the number of wrongful convictions and providing compensation, such as those suggested in recently adopted ABA policies, will also be discussed. Finally, the role of media in covering wrongful conviction litigation will also be explored.

View a printable brochure, with complete agenda and registration information (PDF)

Registration fees:

$75 - Non-Southwestern Alumni seeking 7.5 hours of CLE credit
$50 - Southwestern Alumni seeking 7.5 hours of CLE credit
$40 - Those not seeking CLE credit
Complimentary - Southwestern students, faculty and staff (RSVP required)

RSVP by February 1 to the Student Affairs Office.

This Symposium offers 7.5 hours of CLE credit. Southwestern is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider.

For a map and directions to Southwestern, click here. Parking is available on campus for $6.

Questions? Contact the or the Law Review Office or the Student Affairs Office.