UCLA School of Law students played a key role in unlocking “ I could not think of more important work the prison doors for Darnell Crookshank, who had served 20 for our Criminal Defense Clinic to pursue years of a life sentence in prison after being convicted for a nonviolent drug crime. than helping to win his freedom.” On Aug. 5, President Barack Obama commuted Crookshank’s sentence and those of 213 other prisoners in an historic use of the powers of executive clemency to address injustices caused by outdated mandatory minimum sentencing laws. Crookshank’s clemency petition was researched, drafted and submitted by students working in the school’s Criminal Defense Clinic under the guidance of professors Ingrid Eagly and Julie Cramer. Part of UCLA School of Law’s Clinical and Experiential Learning Program, the clinic provides an advanced setting to integrate knowledge of the law Andrés Dae Keun Kwon ’16 and Jessica Hanson ’16, far left and far right, were on a team of UCLA Law students working under the with the challenge of working supervision of professors Julie Cramer and Ingrid Eagly, center. with real clients and complying was acting pro bono on the case originally referred by the with professional obligations. Office of the Federal Public Defender. Students also helped “Representing Mr. Crookshank was the most valuable develop a reentry plan that will assist Crookshank in transiexperience we had in law school,” said Jessica Hanson ’16, tioning successfully to life outside of prison. Crookshank is who worked intensely on the case before she graduated in scheduled to be released in December 2016. May. “By meeting and learning from Mr. Crookshank, we “The harsh life sentence imposed in Mr. Crookshank’s are better people, and we believe we will be better lawyers.” case erodes public trust in our criminal justice system,” Andrés Dae Keun Kwon ’16, who also played a key role Professor Eagly said. “I could not think of more important in developing the petition, said, “A sentence of life without work for our Criminal Defense Clinic to pursue than helping parole would strip most any person of hope. But Mr. Crookto win his freedom.” shank kept hope alive for over 20 years, so that one day he Hanson and Kwon, both graduates of the law school’s could be reunited with his family. His hopefulness and resilDavid J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy ience in the face of immense adversity are truly inspiring.” and the Critical Race Studies Program, will continue to work Six other students in the clinic — Oscar Figueroa ’16, as public interest attorneys in Los Angeles. Hanson is the reLaura Lopez Montero ’16, Rachel Lorber ’16, Han Lu ’16, cipient of a Skadden Fellowship at the National Immigration Brittania Poon ’16 and Alexandria Ruiz ’16 — contributed to Law Center. Kwon is an Equal Justice Works Emerson Fellow Crookshank’s petition. at the ACLU of Southern California. The clinic collaborated with Los Angeles criminal defense attorney and UCLA Law lecturer Peter Johnson, who
FALL 2016 | UCLA LAW MAGAZINE 5
PHOTO: TODD CHENEY
Epstein Program Students Help Earn Clemency for Inmate