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Criminal Justice Center

The CSU|LAW Criminal Justice Center embodies our Law School mission to “Learn Law. Live Justice.”  Through a model of engaged learning, the Criminal Justice Center transforms students into legal advocates by placing them at the center of efforts to improve and reform our criminal justice system.  Our Criminal Justice Center Clinics are designed to address injustices throughout the life cycle of the criminal process:  by leveling the playing field at pretrial release and detention, exonerating those wrongfully convicted, and removing legal obstacles facing those released from prison.

Clinics

Pretrial Justice Clinic

At the very outset of a criminal case, disparities begin to emerge between defendants with financial resources to hire counsel and those without. Students in our Pretrial Justice Center work to reduce those disparities. Under the supervision of Professor Robert Triozzi, students assist lawyers in the Cuyahoga County Public Defender’s Office, gathering information and advocating for pretrial release for indigent clients.  

Terry Gilbert Wrongful Conviction Clinic

Cuyahoga County has the tenth-most exonerations nationwide since 1989, accounting for more than one-third of all exonerations in Ohio.  Students in the Wrongful Conviction Clinic, under the supervision of Director Laura Greig, work to reverse those injustices.  Students review case files, conduct factual investigations, and analyze legal claims for prisoners with viable claims of actual innocence or manifest injustice.

Pardon, Clemency, and Reentry Clinic

After release from prison, individuals face countless collateral consequences that prevent them from pursuing a career, finding stable housing, or otherwise integrating back into the local community. Students in our Pardon, Clemency, and Reentry Clinic, under the supervision of Director Khalida Sims Jackson, assist clients seeking pardon or clemency through the Ohio Governor’s Expedited Pardon Program. Students also pursue record-sealing and expungement of past convictions, as well as assisting with other legal obstacles that might prevent successful reentry into the community.

Faculty and Staff

Shih-Chun Chien
Assistant Professor of Law
LB157
216-687-2259
  • JSD
    Stanford Law School
    Doctor of the Science of Law
    2019
  • JSM
    Stanford Law School
    Master of the Science of Law
    2015
  • LLM
    University of California, Berkeley School of Law
    2014
  • LLM
    National Chengchi University (NCCU), Taiwan
    2012
  • LLB
    National Chengchi University (NCCU), Taiwan
    2009

BIO

Professor Shih-Chun "Steven" Chien’s scholarship and teaching address various legal subjects through doctrinal, comparative, and empirical perspectives.

Khalida S. Jackson
Staff Attorney and Director, Post-Conviction Clinic
LB073
216-687-2270
  • BA
    The Ohio State University
    English
    2008
  • JD
    Wayne State University Law School
    2011

Bio

Khalida Jackson directs the Pardon, Clemency, and Reentry Clinic, leading students representing clients seeking to overcome the negative collateral consequences of prior convictions. The clinic is a service provider for the Ohio Governor's Expedited Pardon Project, which gives qualifying applicants one-on-one application assistance and allows them to bypass the waitlist for pardon consideration.  Ms. Jackson's clinic also conducts extensive community outreach on issues of clemency and prisoner reentry. Ms.

Milena Sterio
Charles R. Emrick Jr. - Calfee, Halter & Griswold Endowed Professor of Law and Director, LL.M. Program
LB131
216-687-3852
  • BA
    Rutgers College, New Brunswick
    French Literature/Political Science
    1998
  • University Paris I-Pantheon-Sorbonne
    Maitrise en droit franco-americain
    2002
  • MA
    University Paris I-Pantheon-Sorbonne
    Private International Law
    2003
  • JD
    Cornell Law School
    2002

BIO

Professor Sterio earned her law degree, magna cum laude, from Cornell Law School in 2002. At Cornell, she was Order of the Coif, general editor of the Cornell International Law Journal and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. In 2003, she earned a master's degree, cum laude, in Private International Law from the University Paris I-Pantheon-Sorbonne; in 2002, she earned a Maitrise en droit franco-americain cum laude, also from the Sorbonne. Her undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, in Political Science and French Literature is from Rutgers College, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Robert J. Triozzi
Clinical Professor and Co-Director, Criminal Justice Center
LB76
216-687-2263
  • BA
    Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
    History and Government
    1979
  • JD
    Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Cleveland, Ohio
    1982

BIO

Robert J. Triozzi is a Clinical Professor of Law and Co-Director of the CSU|LAW Criminal Justice Center. Professor Triozzi has been actively engaged a wide range of experience in legal, civic and public policy matters at the highest levels throughout his career. He has served as an accomplished defense attorney and served as chief trial counsel in a wide variety of cases including death penalty litigation.

Jonathan P. Witmer-Rich
Joseph C. Hostetler – BakerHostetler Professor of Law and Co-Director Criminal Justice Center
  • BA
    Goshen College
    English
    1997
  • JD
    University of Michigan
    2000

BIO

Professor Witmer-Rich's research focuses on criminal procedure and criminal law theory, covering areas such as warrants for covert searches, affirmative consent in rape and sexual assault law, the provocation doctrine, and pretextual traffic stops. His articles have appeared in journals such as American Criminal Law Review, Florida Law Review, Criminal Law and Philosophy, Pepperdine Law Review, Case Western Reserve Law Review, and Texas Tech Law Review. He teaches courses in criminal law, criminal procedure, and law and terrorism.

Laura Greig
Director, Wrongful Conviction Clinic
LB075
216-687-3989
  • JD
    The University of Texas at Austin
    2010
    with Honors
  • BA
    New York University
    History with Honors
    2004
    magna cum laude

Bio:

Laura Greig is the Director of the Wrongful Conviction Clinic. Prior to joining CSU College of Law, Ms. Greig practiced in the Special Matters and Government Investigations group at King & Spalding LLP, where she focused on complex criminal defense matters, cross-border government investigations, and internal investigations.  Ms. Greig represented clients in enforcement actions and investigations involving the U.S.

Patricia J. Falk
Professor Emeritus
LB235
216-687-3904
  • BA
    Union College
  • PhD
    University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • JD
    University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Bio:

Professor Falk clerked for United States Magistrate Arthur L. Burnett, Sr., upon her graduation from law school and was a Trial Attorney with the United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, from 1985 through 1991. She has tried numerous criminal and civil cases.

Peter D. Garlock
Professor Emeritus
LB161
216-687-2327
  • BA
    Yale University
  • LLB
    Yale University
  • PhD
    Yale University

Bio:

Professor Garlock came to the College of Law after serving as a member of the history department of Wellesley College, as a legal advisor to the Ministry of Finance of the Government of Kenya, as an assistant director of the IJA-ABA Juvenile Justice Standards Project, and as research associate in law with the Carnegie Council on Children. Combining his interests in legal history and juvenile law, Professor Garlock has published on the legal treatment of juveniles in nineteenth and twentieth century America.

 


Adjunct Faculty:

Kimberly Corral '12
Ian Friedman '97
Gordon Friedman 
Madelyn Grant '18
Judge John Russo '92

Advisory Council:

Patricia Cummings, Cummings Law
Marisa T. Darden,  Benesch Law
Justin E. Herdman, Jones Day
Marques Hillman Richeson, Jones Day

 


 

 

Faculty Scholarship 

View the work of our faculty on the CSU Engaged Scholarship page

externships and Practicums 

  • Ohio Court of Appeals, 8th District
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
  • City of Cleveland Prosecutor’s Office Ohio Attorney General
  • Federal Public Defender Office,
  • Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office
  • U.S. Attorney’s Office
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
  • Restorative Justice
  • Post-Conviction Relief with Cuyahoga County Conviction Integrity Unit
  • "Waze" for Criminal Defendants 
  • Cleveland Police Commission
  • Cuyahoga County Bail Reform
  • Ohio Criminal Rules Revision

Criminal Justice Forum Speaker Series

For more than 20 years, the Criminal Justice Forum has brought nationally and internationally prominent speakers to the law school providing our students and CLE-seeking attorneys with expansive learning and conversation. See our News and Events for latest programming.

Support our Mission

Join a community of philanthropic, individual and corporate donors who strive to ensure a fair and equitable criminal justice system for all.

DONATE

Friends of the Criminal Justice Center

Donors who contribute $1,000 or more to the CSU Law Criminal Justice Center are designated as Friends of the Criminal Justice Center for one year and recognized on our website.

Become a Friend of the Criminal Justice Center

Partners in Justice

Partners in Justice receive unique benefits from the CSU|LAW Criminal Justice Center and Clinics, including:

  • invitations to special Center and Clinic events, and 
  • recognition at all Center and Clinic events, in promotional materials, on social media, and on our website.

Donors who contribute $2,500 or more to the CSU|LAW Criminal Justice Center are designated as Partners in Justice for one year.

Become a Partner in Justice

Champions of Justice

Champions of Justice members receive exclusive benefits from the CSU|LAW Criminal Justice Center and Clinics, including:

  • invitations to private events, speaker series, and stakeholder engagement experiences,
  • recognition at all Center and Clinic events, in promotional materials, on social media, and on our website, and
  • members and their employees are offered a free CLE presented by the CSU|LAW Criminal Justice Center.

Donors who contribute $5,000 or more to the CSU|LAW Criminal Justice Center are appointed as Champions of Justice for one year.

Become a Champion of Justice

Board of Advocates

As our most generous benefactors, Board of Advocates members join us as active contributors in our pursuit for criminal justice equity and reform.  Board of Advocate members receive exclusive benefits from the CSU Law Criminal Justice Center and Clinics, including:

  • a seat at Board of Advocates-only roundtable events with CSU community leaders and prominent criminal justice leaders,
  • invitation-only events, speaker series, and stakeholder engagement experiences,
  • the highest tier of recognition at all Center and Clinic events, in promotional materials, on social media, and on our website, and
  • members and their employees are offered two free CLEs each year presented by the CSU|LAW Criminal Justice Center.

 Donors who contribute $10,000 or more to the Clinic are appointed to our Board of Advocates for one year.

Become a member of the Board of Advocates

Recent Center News + Events

Aug 6, 2024

Pardon, Clemency & Reentry Clinic Receives Gift from National Urban League

CSU|LAW’s Pardon Clemency & Reentry Clinic has received $33,000 from the National Urban League (NUL) to assist in the mission of pro bono rep
Pardon, Clemency & Reentry Clinic Receives Gift from National Urban League
Jul 2, 2024

Criminal Justice Faculty Interviewed for Cleveland Conversations

Professor Robert Triozzi, Co-director of the Criminal Justice Center, Khalida Sims Jackson, Director of t
Criminal Justice Faculty Interviewed for Cleveland Conversations
May 31, 2024

Professors Ray and Witmer-Rich Discuss Police Surveillance at Community Forum

Professors Brian Ray and Jonathan Witmer-Rich were panelists at the Cleveland Community Police Commission’s
Professors Ray and Witmer-Rich Discuss Police Surveillance at Community Forum

Connect With Us

Instagram: @crim_justice_csu

Facebook: Criminal Justice Center at CSU Law

Wrongful Conviction Clinic Instagram: @csulaw.wrongful.conviction

Wrongful Conviction Clinic Facebook: CSU Wrongful Conviction Clinic

DONATE

Sponsors

Board of Advocates
  • J. Patrick Garrett and Karen W. McDonie
  • Terry H. Gilbert
  • Roger M. Synenberg and The Honorable Joan Synenberg
CHAMPIONS OF JUSTICe
Image
Spangenberg, Shibley & Liber
Friends of the Criminal Justice Center
  • The Honorable Ronald B. Adrine
  • Patrick Joseph Burke
  • Carran & Russ Gannaway
  • Mr. and Mrs. Gerald A. Messerman
  • Professor Jonathan P. Witmer-Rich