Center for Appellate Litigation

“I have a spirit in me. CAL showed me, ‘you can do it.’ I was lost. And then I got found.” At CAL, we're there for our clients when they need support on the inside, and when they come home. This Giving Tuesday, consider donating to our Client Support Fund calclientsupport.org

This morning, @GovKathyHochul commuted the sentences of three CAL clients and pardoned another! Read about the Governor's life-changing clemency grants here: appellate-litigation.org/files/gallerie…

We’re hiring! Applications will be accepted until April 22. Check out the position here: appellate-litigation.org/sora-litigatio…

Rally Thurs., March 24 @ 11am outside @GovKathyHochul's NYC office and say no to rollbacks of bail and discovery reform. We demand $1 billion for community violence intervention & support for victims – and not more dangerous jailing!

Tell @GovKathyHochul: Say no to rollbacks on bail, discovery, and Raise the Age laws! New Yorkers deserve access to quality education, housing, employment, and health care, not more punitive policies. Rally: Thurs, 3/24 at 11 AM Hochul's NYC Office 633 Third Avenue, Manhattan

Defending Self-Defense: A Call to Action by Survived & Punished survivedandpunished.org/2022/03/03/def… via @survivepunish

Incarcerated Organizers Are Resisting Amid Deteriorating Conditions truthout.org/audio/incarcer… via @truthout

SIGN-UP: Join us at our Parole Justice is Gender Justice Virtual Day of Action on March 9. Hear remarks from world-renowned feminist and scholar, Dr. Angela Davis. Meet with lawmakers. Demand freedom from gender-based oppression. RSVP here now: bit.ly/ParoleJusticeM…

"The mayor has made clear that his solution to issues of mental health and inadequate housing is to expand incarceration, despite troves of research showing that pretrial detention doesn't increase safety." - @EnvFreeFund's Carl Hamad-Lipscombe (@carlken) newsweek.com/arrest-feces-s…

Did you know that rap lyrics are often admitted at trial as a way to bias juries and courts against defendants? The Rap on Trial bill, S7527, would work to combat racism in the courtroom and uphold New Yorkers’ right to free speech.

RSVP to join #CommunitiesNotCages in Albany on April 26. Rally and meet with lawmakers to demand an end to New York’s racist and draconian sentencing laws. RSVP at: bit.ly/CNC-Albany

1/Sotomayor "Despite the empirical evidence, legislatures & agencies are often not receptive to the plight of people convicted of sex offenses & their struggles... the Constitution protects all people, & it prohibits the deprivation of liberty based solely on speculation & fear."

NEW: Analysis from @amnestyusa confirms that NYers living in communities w/ high levels of stop-and-frisk are also disproportionately subjected to invasive police surveillance. Facial recognition tech is racist and should not be in the hands of police. banthescan.amnesty.org/decode/

Join #CommunitiesNotCages for a Call Party TODAY Feb. 16 + 23 at 12pm on Zoom! Together, we're calling our lawmakers to demand that they eliminate mandatory minimums, end extreme sentencing, support transformation, and bring our loved ones home! RSVP at bit.ly/call-party

Supervising Attorney Megan Byrne explains the importance of perspective in judicial decisionmaking, and the lack of perspective reflected in centuries of decisions made by judges who do not understand what it means to be a Black woman in America. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/it…

BREAKING: An 8-1 victory for Mr. Hemphill and the 6th amendment! supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf…

“Rather than acknowledge rap music as a form of artistic expression, police and prosecutors argue that the lyrics should be interpreted literally...even though the genre is rooted in a long tradition of storytelling that privileges figurative language..." rollingstone.com/music/music-ne…

Are prospective jurors hiding smirks behind masks during voir dire? Are limitations being placed on entry into the courtroom? Check out this special pandemic edition of CAL’s “Issues to Develop" for tips on preserving COVID related challenges. appellate-litigation.org/siteFiles/file…

We call on DOC Commissioner Molina and Mayor Adams to take immediate action addressing the inhumane conditions on Rikers Island

Governor Hochul has announced the Clean Slate Act as a PRIORITY bill in 2022. The Clean Slate Act is an anti-poverty bill that will allow millions of formerly incarcerated New Yorkers to pursue more job opportunities in NYS by removing barriers of employment. #CleanSlateCantWait