Protecting the Rights of Indigent Defendants on Death Row

The Capital Appeals Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit law office established to provide representation to all indigent defendants sentenced to death in Louisiana. Our office represents clients in their direct appeals to the Louisiana Supreme Court and on certiorari  to the United States Supreme Court. In addition to direct representation, our staff members also resource ongoing capital trials, provide training and consultation for capital defense attorneys, engage in public outreach and education on issues relating to capital punishment, and advocate for continued improvement in the criminal justice system.

Our Project encourages students to apply for Fall and Spring externships and Summer internships. Work with the Capital Appeals Project demands rigorous attention to detail and creative thinking and offers students a closely supervised opportunity to learn the intricacies of death penalty jurisprudence while providing a much needed service in the Deep South. Anyone interested in working with our Project should contact William Sothern at billys@thejusticecenter.org for more information and an application.