Join Us
Volunteerism
Volunteers
California Innocence Advocates offers opportunities for volunteers, interns, and fellows to engage in casework, policy work, and special projects. Your efforts can help to free the unjustly incarcerated.
In addition to attorneys, paralegals, and others legal professionals, we can use volunteer help on many fronts – accounting, communications, fundraising, and technology.
Post-Graduate Fellowship
Cal-IA will host post-graduate fellows and post-bar law clerks seeking to gain experience following graduation.
Internships/ Externships
Cal-IA also accepts student interns and externs in high school, college, or law school. Interns may perform legal research, review documents, draft pleadings, and assist in investigation. The duration of the internship is a minimum of 10 weeks and is unpaid. Cal-IA's internship program enables students to earn academic credit for unpaid work under the direct supervision of an attorney.
Cal-IA will also host public interest students who may receive funding from their law school or outside funders.
Preference is given to students with a demonstrated commitment to post-conviction work and/or indigent criminal defense.
California Western School of Law Summer Clinic
CLINICAL LAW STUDENT
-
Part-time; ~17 hours per week
-
Class credit (4 units)
-
15 hours interning per week outside of class
-
204-hour commitment; 130 minutes of in-person class work,
-
Weekly team meetings are mandatory
-
Flexible schedule; at least one full weekday reserved for travel for investigation and court hearings
Pro Bono Partnerships
PCA hopes to partner with corporations, foundations, or private funders that want to help us fulfill our mission of addressing the many injustices within the legal system and help clients re-entering society after unjust incarceration.
We continue to build a strong community of support from law firms of all sizes and specialize in all areas of the law. Every pro bono law firm that decides to team up with us begins by reviewing cases and preparing memorandums. There is an opportunity for every firm to collaborate on larger projects depending on our needs and the firm’s desired commitment. If you are interested in learning how your firm can provide pro bono services, our team can get you started with a presentation on the issues related to wrongful convictions and the case review process.
Attorney Volunteers
The American Bar Association recommends that every lawyer “should aspire to render at least (50) hours of pro bono public legal services per year.” Please contact us should you or your firm like to help us fulfill our mission of freeing the unjustly incarcerated.
Expert Witnesses and Investigators
We often utilize expert witnesses and investigators for case consultation, case analysis, and post-conviction investigation. Our experts generously donate their time or work at a reduced rate. Please contact us to help!
Hosting Events
Hosting an event is a great way to support our mission, allowing us to educate the community about unjust incarceration, and raising funds to support our work. If you are an experienced event planner, or even if you have a small group of friends you would like to get together to host an event, please call us. Our attorneys and freed clients would love to meet you!
