Volunteer Lawyers

The Georgia Innocence Project needs volunteer lawyers to represent our clients.

These lawyers will work directly with the Project and our interns to investigate, prepare and argue the case. Most of our cases will involve DNA testing.

The cases we work on have gone through a screening process and only those case that meet our criteria will be pursued. After the initial review, a detailed questionnaire is sent to the inmate. The information we received is reviewed by the staff and interns and is forwarded to our Legal Advisory Committee. That committee makes a determination which cases we will pursue. The case is then assigned to a team of 2 interns and 1 volunteer lawyer. We will make every effort to assign a volunteer lawyer in the same county where the client was convicted.

Responsibilities of the Volunteer Lawyer:

• Meet with the staff of the Georgia Innocence Project to discuss the case.
• Review file.
• Plan the investigation and preparation of the case.
• Meet with the interns regularly either in person, by phone or by e-mail to discuss progress.
• Act as local counsel to gather documents and locate evidence as needed.
• Provide assistance to interns gathering evidence.
• Brainstorm issues and investigation techniques with interns.
• Work with interns to prepare motions.
• Supervise the interns in preparing the case for hearing.
• Represent client at hearing.
• Continue to represent client after testing.
• Be local contact for press.

If you are willing to act as the volunteer lawyer on a case for the Georgia Innocence Project, please let us know. Please include your contact information and the counties where you practice.

If you would like to help, please contact Executive Director Aimee Maxwell via email:
aimee@ga-innocenceproject.org

or by mail:

Aimee R. Maxwell
Executive Director
Georgia Innocence Project, Inc.
752 1/2 North Highland Avenue
Atlanta, Georgia 30306

404-872-8236
404-872-8240 (fax)