We challenge wrongful convictions on every front by exonerating the innocent, educating future attorneys, and reforming criminal justice policy. Read our update to see how we continue to exonerate, educate, and reform.
Megan Crane Joins NCIP as New Legal Director
Megan Crane recently joined NCIP as our newest Legal Director and Santa Clara University Clinical Professor of Law. In this role, Megan leads NCIP's post-conviction innocence litigation efforts, supervises NCIP’s staff attorneys, and teaches NCIP's law clinic.
Megan joins NCIP from the Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center, and her previous experience includes clinical teaching positions at Washington University School of Law, the University of Missouri School of Law, and Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law where she served as co-director of the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth.
Megan joined NCIP on August 1 as Legal Director and Clinical Professor of Law
Megan (far right) in court with (from left): Orrick attorney Shannon Leong, NCIP co-founder Linda Starr, NCIP client George Souliotes, and Orrick attorney Jimmy McBirney.
Throughout her career, Megan has represented wrongfully convicted individuals, people facing capital punishment, and clients in complex civil rights litigation. Megan's work on behalf of the wrongfully convicted began in 2013 when she was an associate at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and worked with NCIP in a pro bono capacity to help exonerate NCIP client George Souliotes. Her return to NCIP as Legal Director represents a fitting full-circle moment, bringing her career back to the organization where her innocence work first began and allowing her to lead the next generation of our mission.
Save the Date: JFA 2026!
The 2026 Justice for All (JFA) Gala will take place on Thursday, October 15, 2026 at the de Saisset Museum on Santa Clara University’s beautiful campus.
This year is especially meaningful as NCIP celebrates its 25th anniversary – a milestone that marks 25 years of exonerating the innocent, educating future leaders, and advancing reforms to prevent wrongful convictions.
We are proud to honor two remarkable individuals who have strengthened the movement for justice:
Jasmin Harris
Champion of Justice Award Recipient
Jasmin Harris is the Policy Director for the California Innocence Coalition (CIC) and the Director of Development & Policy at The Innocence Center in San Diego. A leading advocate for criminal legal policy reform, she has helped craft, shepherd, and pass more than a dozen California laws that help prevent and correct wrongful convictions, including legislation that supports exonerees as they rebuild their lives and successfully reenter society after their wrongful convictions. Her tireless leadership and legislative expertise have strengthened protections for the wrongfully convicted and advanced justice throughout California and the nation.
Zavion Johnson
Cookie Ridolfi Freedom Award Recipient
Wrongfully convicted after the tragic death of his infant daughter Nadia, Zavion Johnson spent 17 years in prison before advances in medical science led to his exoneration in 2018. Since regaining his freedom, Zavion has channeled his experience into a powerful platform for advocacy and education. Through local and national speaking engagements, media interviews, radio shows, and podcasts, Zavion has shown incredible courage in sharing his story and has amplified the voices of the wrongfully convicted while helping educate the public about the human cost of wrongful convictions.
To revisit the 2025 Justice for All Gala, view the video below:
Sponsors are critical to the success of JFA and to NCIP in general. If you are interested in sponsoring, click here for more details. For individuals tickets, click here. For more information about JFA, contact External Relations Director Carla Spain at cspain@scu.edu.
NCIP Co-Sponsoring Two Bills in CA Legislature
The California Innocence Coalition (CIC) is co-sponsoring two bills during the current legislative cycle, both with Assemblymember Nick Schulz. For more information on each bill, including their status in the State Legislature, visit: ncip.org/current-policy-reform-efforts
Assembly Bill (AB) 1595 strengthens California’s criminal legal system by ensuring courts can correct wrongful convictions while preserving appropriate judicial discretion.
AB 1905 would prohibit a law enforcement officer from seeking statements or information while working undercover, or by individuals working in collaboration with, or acting as agents of, law enforcement, from a person who was 17 years of age or younger during the commission of crime and who is in custody.
NCIP Welcomes New Clinical Class
NCIP saw a 45% increase in the number of applications from Santa Clara Law students who wished to participate in the NCIP clinic for the 2026-27 academic year. NCIP selected 12 beginning students and one advanced student to participate in the clinic for the upcoming academic year, which begins at the end of August 2026.
NCIP Community
NCIP staff and clinical students celebrate the end of semester with a karaoke party.
NCIP clients and loved ones at the 2026 Innocence Network Conference.
NCIP staff Lauryn Barbosa Findley and Sarah Pace and clients Miguel Solorio and Armando Ortiz participated in a panel discussion in front of all Santa Clara Law 1Ls that covered the history of innocence work and racial bias in the criminal legal system.
The NCIP team recently participated in a glassblowing class -- an opportunity to strengthen team connections, learn a new skill, and enjoy time together outside of the office.
Support NCIP
NCIP's work is made possible through donations from our supporters. With your help, we can continue to exonerate, educate and reform. Thank you for helping us make a difference in the lives of the wrongfully convicted.
