Most people have heard of habeas corpus. Documentaries like Serial and Making of a Murderer have brought attention to gaps in the American legal system and touch upon the role of a writ of habeas corpus. But the writ of habeas corpus remains mysterious to many people, including those who are incarcerated or detained, despite the growing need for habeas review as a check on governmental power to confine individuals.
The National Habeas Institute seeks to demystify habeas corpus and make this powerful legal tool more accessible. Our overarching mission is to identify and correct gaps in the American legal system.
Our Mission
The National Habeas Institute seeks to educate lawyers, law students, and the general public about habeas law by developing and exemplifying the best standards for habeas practice.
“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. ”