5:30 p.m. Reception – Mabie Grand Atrium, Charney Hall
6:30 – 7:45 p.m. Panel Discussion – Panelli Moot Courtroom, Charney Hall 103
presented by
The Honorable William A. Ingram Inn
American Inns of Court
Heafey Center for Trial and Appellate Advocacy
Santa Clara University School of Law
Free of Charge
1.25 hours of MCLE ethics credit available
R.S.V.P. HERE NO LATER THAN JANUARY 10, 2020
Santa Clara University School of Law, through the support of the Heafey Center for Trial and Appellate Advocacy and the Judge William Ingram Inn of Court, announce the 2020 Judge William Ingram Symposium. The Symposium will be held on the campus of Santa Clara University on the evening of January 15, 2020.
Many judges, lawyers and criminal justice policy-makers have expressed alarm at the growing reports of wrongful conviction of innocent defendants. Social scientists have estimated that as many as 8,000 innocent people are convicted annually of crimes they did not commit. There are equally alarming studies of death row and executed capital defendants who were found to be factually innocent. DNA testing, better police and prosecutorial methods, and the growth of innocence projects nationally have decreased the likelihood of conviction of innocent people, but there are many more improvements needed. In response there have been legislative initiatives in California, and elsewhere, aimed at improving the criminal justice system—from arrest through appeals– in order to further decrease instances of conviction of factually innocent defendants.
PROGRAM: “Wrongful Conviction: Causes, Remedies and Lawyer Ethical Considerations”
This year’s symposium will explore the legal issues surrounding the problem of wrongful conviction in the United States and attorney ethical issues associated with cases of wrongful conviction. The panel discussion will feature experts on the causes of wrongful convictions and current approaches for reducing the incidence of wrongful convictions.
SPEAKERS:
David Angel, Assistant District Attorney, Santa Clara County
Melissa Dague O’Connell, Staff Attorney& Policy Liaison, Northern California Innocence Project
Linda Starr, Executive Director, Northern California Innocence Project
MODERATOR:
Donald J. Polden, Dean Emeritus & Professor of Law, Santa Clara University
Judge William A. Ingram and the Inn of Court
Judge William A. Ingram served as a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California for twenty-six years, including three years as its Chief Judge. The William A. Ingram Inn of Court, which draws its pupils from Stanford, Santa Clara and Lincoln Law Schools, was renamed to honor Judge Ingram, one of the Inn’s founders, and Judge Ingram’s family designated the Inn to receive memorial contributions to endow this Memorial Symposium.
Judge Ingram was a mentor to many lawyers and judges in our community, and the Inn and this symposium seek to promote the ideals of civility, collegiality, and professionalism that he personified.