This month Susan Elizabeth Reese reviews Infinite Hope: How Wrongful Conviction, Solitary Confinement, and 12 Years on Death Row Failed to Kill My Soul by Anthony Graves.

A great deal of folk wisdom surrounds the characteristics of a successful appellate brief. It is said that shorter briefs and fewer issues lead to greater appellate success. One of the “gurus” of legal writing recommended that issue statements not exceed 75 words. Some claim that simple, short arguments are more effective than longer ones. Many attorneys believe that an appellant who files a reply brief will be more successful than an appellant who does not. Several hypotheses arising from all this advice have been tested. The results call into question most of the folk wisdom.

This month Carrie Sperling reviews Blind Injustice by Mark Godsey.

Mercy does not surface often on death row. That is what makes the story of Jason McGehee so remarkable.

In August 2017, NACDL and Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) announced the launch of a state-focused clemency initiative, the NACDL/FAMM State Clemency Project. The program is designed to recruit, train, and provide resource support to pro bono attorneys who will assist state prisoners in submitting applications for sentence commutation.