Michigan Innocence Clinic

Current Michigan Law School students who are interested in being a part of the Michigan Innocence Clinic can do so in two ways: either by enrolling in the clinic for credit during the academic year, or by applying to be an intern in the summer.

During the academic year, the clinic requires a one-year enrollment commitment (seven graded credits per semester); prospective students can apply to enroll for the following academic year during the winter clinic enrollment period (March).

Internship applications (consisting of a cover letter and resume) are accepted early in the winter semester for the following summer. Details will be posted by the clinical programs administrator, as summer hiring for all MLaw clinics is handled through a centralized process.

General questions about the Innocence Clinic can be sent to innocenceclinicapplications@umich.edu.

We highly recommend that applications for review by the Innocence Clinic be completed by the convicted person. However, it is also permissible to have the application completed by a friend or family member. When completing the application, applicants are encouraged to:

• Make sure their answers are legible. Feel free to use a typewriter if needed.
• Be clear about what relevant documents are available and who has them.

Please do not send any supporting materials along with an application. We will request additional materials if we need them.

Fill Out a Client Application (pdf)

The Michigan Innocence Clinic is a nonprofit legal aid program that provides its services free of charge. Substantial costs are involved in our investigative and litigation efforts, and we are grateful for the generous support of the University and the Law School that makes our work possible. 

An area in which the clinic continues to seek support is the re-entry needs of our exonerees. Despite being innocent, our exonerated clients face significant financial hurdles upon release, and they don’t receive any state support for months or even years after release.

Michigan Innocence Clinic co-founder and co-director David Moran has created a special fund to provide stopgap financial support to our exonerees. Those looking to make a donation to this fund should contact Prof. Moran at morand@umich.edu or 734.615.5419.