Ep. 5 - Daniel Medwed - The Innocence Movement and Advocacy

Explicit content warning

08/08/23 • 106 min

We are back in the Lounge to spend some time with a new guest, Professor Daniel Medwed of Northeastern University School of Law. Dan Medwed has practiced, taught, and lead in the area of wrongful convictions and innocence-based advocacy for more than two decades. The conversation between Dan and Law School Lounge host, Krystal Norton, covers the process and avenues available to wrongfully convicted persons, including an analysis of the barriers presented by such processes. Their conversation focuses on common reasons for wrongful convictions while Dan shares stories of his time working on such cases. They also talk about the difficulties of working as an attorney in this area and why the movement has gained momentum in recent history. The episode closes with a short discussion of the West Memphis Three case and how patterns within innocence cases are apparent from the case's coverage.

Warning: This episode covers topics that some listeners may find difficult. Listener discretion is advised.

Disclaimer: Nothing in this episode may be construed as legal advice by any person. All statements are general and there is no attorney-client relationship. If you need advice about a legal matter, please contact an attorney.

Professor Dan Medwed's most recent book, "Barred: Why the Innocent Can't Get Out of Prison," is available here.

You can also learn more and request a review copy of the casebook Professor Medwed co-authors at Carolina Academic Press here.

If you want to learn more about Dan Medwed, then check here.

Since the West Memphis Three case was discussed in this episode, here are some further resources about the case:

Danielle Selby, "West Memphis Three: What You Should Know About Their Wrongful Conviction," (June, 7, 2023), available at: https://innocenceproject.org/news/who-are-west-memphis-three-damien-echols/
Mara Leveritt, "Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three," Atria Books (2003), you can buy it here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Devils-Knot/Mara-Leveritt/9780743417600
"Paradise Lost" (Parts 1, 2, and 3), Documentary
"The West Memphis Three: An ID Murder Mystery," Docuseries, (2020)

At the end of the episode, the podcast "Murder in Alliance: Who Killed Yvonne Layne," is mentioned, and you can listen to it or learn more here: https://www.murderinalliance.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Warning: This episode covers topics that some listeners may find difficult. Listener discretion is advised.

Professor Dan Medwed's most recent book, "Barred: Why the Innocent Can't Get Out of Prison," is available here.

You can also learn more and request a review copy of the casebook Professor Medwed co-authors at Carolina Academic Press here.

If you want to learn more about Dan Medwed, then check here.

Since the West Memphis Three case was discussed in this episode, here are some further resources about the case:

Danielle Selby, "West Memphis Three: What You Should Know About Their Wrongful Conviction," (June, 7, 2023), available at: https://innocenceproject.org/news/who-are-west-memphis-three-damien-echols/
Mara Leveritt, "Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three," Atria Books (2003), you can buy it here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Devils-Knot/Mara-Leveritt/9780743417600
"Paradise Lost" (Parts 1, 2, and 3), Documentary
"The West Memphis Three: An ID Murder Mystery," Docuseries, (2020)

At the end of the episode, the podcast "Murder in Alliance: Who Killed Yvonne Layne," is mentioned, and you can listen to it or learn more here: https://www.murderinalliance.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Ep. 4 - Tanya Monestier - What is outlining for a law school course?

We are back in the Lounge for the final part of our time with Professor Tanya Monestier. Outlining is a method of exam preparation that is new to many law students during their first semester. Tanya and host, Krystal Norton, share tips on how to prepare a course outline to help you succeed as a law student. They also talk about study tips that are less effective than an outline and why. If you are heading to law school or you are getting ready for exams, this episode is for you.

If you're interested in purchasing Tanya's book, you can find it here: https://cap-press.com/books/isbn/9781531024758/Sht-No-One-Tells-You-About-Law-School.

If you want to learn more about Tanya, you and read her bio and take a look at her other works here: https://www.law.buffalo.edu/faculty/facultyDirectory/monestier-tanya.html

Find Law School Lounge Podcast on Twitter and Instagram - @LawSchoolLounge.

If you have episode requests, you can reach us via email at [email protected].

**Disclaimer: This podcast and its episodes are for general information purposes only and do not constitute legal advice; listeners and audience members should contact an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter, including whether to act or refrain from acting in conjunction with a legal matter. The creator and owner do not represent or warrant the accuracy or reliability of the content due to the constantly evolving nature of the law and legal education.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Ep. 6 - Katie Rose Guest Pryal - Neurodiversity, Disability, and Mental Health in Law and Law School

Welcome back to the Lounge! Katie Rose Guest Pryal is here this week for a deep discussion on neurodiversity and disability, whether as a law student student, faculty member, or practitioner. Katie and Krystal Norton (host) share their personal experiences as neurodiverse individuals while sharing difficulties, tools, and areas of improvement within the legal world in these areas and that of mental health. The two define neurodiversity and accessibility, they discuss Katie's journey into the legal profession, they talk about writing tips for neurodiverse people, and they discuss accommodations in the classroom. They also consider the mental health component to taking the bar exam.

WARNING: This episode covers topics that some listeners may find difficult. Listener discretion is advised.

If you want to keep up with Katie and look at a full list of her work: https://katieroseguestpryal.com/ and https://krgpryal.substack.com/.

The book we discuss heavily in the episode, "Life of the Mind Interrupted: Essays on Mental Health and Disability in Higher Education" is available on Amazon.

Katie's books and program with Carolina Academic Press can all be found here.

Resources and Articles Referenced in the Episode:

Bishop, Kaci, Framing Failure in the Legal Classroom: Techniques for Encouraging Growth and Resilience (October 12, 2017). 70 Ark. L. Rev. 959 (2018), Available at SSRN.
McElroy, Lisa T. and Pryal, Katie Rose Guest, The Worst Part of the Bar Exam: It's time to drop mental health questions., (August 7, 2014) available on Slate.com here.
Macfarlane, Katherine, Accommodation Discrimination (August 15, 2022). 72 American University Law Review (Forthcoming 2023) , Available at SSRN.
Schendel, Sarah, Due Dates in the Real World: Extensions, Equity, and the Hidden Curriculum (2021). Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics, Vol. 35, Iss. 2 2021, Available at SSRN.
Pryal, Katie Rose Guest, Genre Discovery 2.0 (January 25, 2023). Forthcoming, Barry Law Review 2023, Available at SSRN.
Alexa Z. Chew & Craig T. Smith, Border-Crossing: Genre Discovery and the Portability of Legal Writing Instruction,25 Perspectives: Teaching Legal Res. & Writing 8 (2016).

The National Helpline provides 24-hour free and confidential referrals and information about mental and/or substance use disorders, prevention, treatment, and recovery in English and Spanish.

SAMHSA's National Helpline

800-662-HELP (4357)

TTY: 800-487-4889

For additional information on finding help and treatment options, visit www.samhsa.gov/find-treatment.

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