How to Join
Below are criteria and obligations for membership in the Innocence Network. To apply, download the application form here.
Membership in the Innocence Network
1. Eligibility criteria
a. In general. Organizations eligible for formal membership in the Innocence Network shall be limited to organizations that are dedicated to providing pro bono legal and/or investigative services to individuals seeking to prove their innocence of crimes for which they have been convicted.
While the Network encourages and supports efforts by prosecutorial agencies to meaningfully review prior convictions and re-investigate claims of innocence, because such agencies may have conflicts of interest with other Network members and their clients, membership of such agencies in the Network is precluded.
b. Organizations eligible. Organizations eligible for membership in the Network shall include the following:
1. Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations;
2. Projects or programs housed within, or sponsored by, other nonprofit organizations, including, but not limited to, programs based at educational institutions;
3. Units of attorneys and/or investigators within a governmental agency devoted to the representation of indigent persons (“defender organizations”);
4. Coalitions of individuals/organizations within a given geographic area, whether or not they have formal tax-exempt status, provided that at least one of the participating organizations is from category (1) and/or (2), above (for example, a program in which volunteer private attorneys supervise law students on pro bono litigation, in exchange for academic credit from the students’ host university); or
5. Law firms that commit substantial pro-bono resources (e.g. an “innocence project unit”) to individuals seeking to prove their innocence.
c. Dedication of resources. Only organizations that devote substantial resources toward the representation of convicted persons with claims of innocence shall be eligible for membership in the Network. “Substantial resources” means the following:
1. Organizations, entities, or coalitions with at least one half-time staff person devoted to such representation or securing representation from qualified attorneys (which may include other administrative/coordination work of the program, in addition to casework);
2. Projects based at law schools, journalism schools, or other educational institutions, provided that the host institution has committed a substantial portion of at least one faculty member’s time to supervise students on clinical work and oversee the program;
3. Within a defender organization, the commitment of all or a substantial portion of at least one staff member’s time (or its equivalent, among several staff persons) to such representation; and
4. Any other group or coalition the Membership Committee concludes devotes consistent and substantial resources to such representation, even if in a form that differs from the other entities described in this section.
d. Provisional memberships. Organizations that satisfy the criteria listed above may become provisional members of the Network upon formation, with access to resources and services provided to all members. After at least 18 months, and upon a favorable vote of the voting membership of the Network, provisional members become full voting members of the Network.
e. Founding Member. Organizations that have been providing legal and/or investigative services consistent with the eligibility criteria for more than 18 months prior to April 2005 may apply for founding member status at the first meeting of the Network upon approval by the membership committee. These organizations will have full membership rights.
f. Voting Rights and Committee Membership. Only full, non-provisional members of the Network may elect the members of and serve on the Innocence Network Board (Board) or vote on matters of policy or governance at the annual Innocence Network conference.
2. Membership Committee
a. Composition. Each year, the Board shall create a Membership Committee, which shall consist of at least three individuals from different organizations within the Innocence Network’s membership that are represented on the Board.
b. Authority. The Membership Committee shall be given authority to determine whether the mission, resources, and other criteria for eligibility of the organizations that seek to join or remain a member of the Innocence Network conform to the criteria listed in Section
1. The Membership Committee shall make recommendations to the full Board as to whether membership should be granted or cancelled. The full Board shall then vote on those recommendations, which shall be adopted by a majority of the Board.
c. Administrative Burden. The Membership Committee shall make best efforts to minimize the administrative burden on organizations seeking Network membership, taking their assertions about their organizations’ status in good faith where appropriate, and requiring only such documentation as is necessary to confirm those assertions.
3. Obligations of Membership
The Board and the Membership Committee are authorized to establish requirements for membership.
a. Annual Report: Each member organization shall provide an annual report on the activities of the organization, which includes current contact information and case information that can be used for review and statistical tracking of membership work.
b. Documentation: At such other times it deems appropriate, the Board and/or the Membership Committee may require individual member organizations to respond to queries and/or resubmit documentation to confirm their continued eligibility in the Network.