Access to Justice with Shon Hopwood

EXCLUSIVE VIRTUAL EVENT

Access to justice: A story of redemption

Live chat with one of the great American jailhouse lawyers, Shon Hopwood

Live Event Date : Thursday, April 15, 2021

Live Event Time : 2:00 PM ET/ 1:00 PM CT

Hosted by Thomson Reuters

After committing five bank robberies and serving time in Federal prison, Shon Hopwood talked his way into a job in the prison law library that changed his life and many others.

Hopwood slowly taught himself criminal law and began to help fellow inmates by writing briefs. He wrote one petition to the Supreme Court, which was chosen to be heard from over 7,000 other petitions submitted by the greater legal community that year. The Justices voted 9-0 in favor of Hopwood’s petition when the case was finally heard. What might have been considered luck by some, was dispelled when a second petition from him was selected to be heard by the Supreme Court.

Shon’s legal work in prison was the start of a new life. Shon works on policy reform, and he is a cofounder of PrisonProfessors.com . He strives to improve outcomes of America’s prison system, tune in to hear his story and ask questions in real time.

We look forward to connecting with you!

Speaker:

Shon Hopwood is an Associate Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center. Shon’s unusual legal journey began not at law school, but federal prison, where he learned to write briefs for other prisoners. Two petitions for certiorari he prepared were later granted review by the United States Supreme Court, and he won cases for other prisoners in federal courts across the country. Shon’s story has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, and on 60 Minutes. Shon received a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law. He clerked for Judge Janice Rogers Brown at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.