In honor of Black History Month, the Black Law Students Association at WMU-Cooley Law School's Lansing campus and the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project held a panel discussion surrounding the movie "Just Mercy," on Feb. 7. Law students, faculty and staff viewed the movie Feb. 4, and then participated in the panel discussion, which featured Professor Marla Mitchell-Cichon, WMU-Cooley Innocence Project director; Associate Dean Tracey Brame, WMU-Cooley Access to Justice Clinic director; and Robyn Frankel, director of the Michigan Attorney General's Conviction Integrity Unit.
"Just Mercy" depicts the events of Harvard Law School graduate Bryan Stevenson's journey defending wrongly condemned or those not afforded proper representation in Alabama. Early in his career, Stevenson defended Walter McMillian, who was sentenced to die in 1987 for the murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite evidence proving his innocence. Stevenson encountered racism and legal and political maneuverings as he fought for McMillian's life.
Published: Tue, Mar 03, 2020
