Defender Pipeline Project

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we’re COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY

Given the racial makeup of people within the U.S. criminal legal system, the National Habeas Institute is committed to training and mentoring Black students and students of color. Through our partnerships with Howard University School of Law and federal defender offices throughout the country, we are developing programs to create opportunities for employment post-graduation.

How the Program Works

Fall Semester: Students attend a 2-credit Capital Punishment Seminar taught by Ngozi Ndulue, Senior Director of Research and Special Projects with the Death Penalty Information Center. The course presents an overview of modern-day capital punishment in the United States by examining key Supreme Court decisions as well as the history of the death penalty in America, including its intimate relationship to slavery and lynching.

Spring Semester: Students participate in a 4-credit experiential course that consists of two components: (a) a weekly, two-hour seminar that reviews the critical cases addressing federal habeas and the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act; and (b) a experiential externship in which students join teams led by the Federal Public Defender Program, Capital Habeas Units (CHUs) to witness the real-world applications of capital punishment law. Christina Mathieson, NHI’s Executive Director, will lead the weekly seminar discussions and mentor the students during their externships.

A Note to Interested Students

  • The Capital Punishment Seminar is a prerequisite for the Spring Externship. That is, enrollment in the spring semester portion is limited to those students who previously enrolled in the fall semester.

  • One of our goals in this program is to foster relationships between the students and the CHUs to provide long-term employment opportunities. We’re hoping that students who become invested in a case with a CHU during the spring semester might continue their work on the same case during a summer internship, or ideally, as young attorneys once they graduate.

A Word from Talia thomas, HUSL ‘23

A word from Brittney Scott, HUSL ‘21

As an extern in this program, I was able to apply theory to practice while being able to broaden my knowledge of capital defense work. One of the highlights of my experience working with NHI was working on the behalf of an actual client, having the opportunity to speak with him at the end of the semester. In this experience, I learned why it is extremely important to humanize your client, and how the attorney acts as the client's voice.

Further, securing a capital attorney position straight out of law school is difficult to do without having prior experience in this line of work; this program offers students valuable work experience that is attractive to employers. During the semester, the Capital Habeas Defender Pipeline program introduced us to several capital defense professionals, which helped me to secure a couple of interviews and build my professional network.

I highly recommend this program to students and encourage them to apply!