New York Expanding Pro Bono Clemency Program (New York Law Journal)
New York Law Journal, August 21, 2017
New York Expanding Pro Bono Clemency Program
“New York is partnering with several legal organizations to expand the state’s pro bono clemency program, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday. The state will partner with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Families Against Mandatory Minimums and other organizations helping incarcerated individuals seeking clemency from the governor’s office to provide ‘high-quality clemency applications.’ ‘These nationally recognized organizations have already proven successful in helping incarcerated individuals get access to the resources they need to apply for clemency, make the case for their rehabilitation and have the opportunity to contribute to and re-enter society,’ Cuomo said in a statement….The governor’s pro bono clemency program began in October 2015 with volunteer lawyers from the New York State Bar Association, the Legal Aid Society of New York, the New York County Lawyers Association, the New York City Bar Association, the Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York’s Pro Bono Project and the Volunteer Lawyers Project of Onondaga County Inc. Cuomo’s office hosted an online-based program that trained them in preparing clemency applications.”
