NIU Law Prisoners’ Rights Project

NIU Law Prisoners' Rights Project is a student-centered collaborative project housed in the Northern Illinois University College of Law. The Northern Illinois University College of Law partners with the P. Michael Mahoney Chapter of the Federal Bar Association to offer law students in their third year the opportunity to work directly with incarcerated individuals in federal court. The program spans two semesters and serves individuals with claims that their constitutional rights have been violated during their involvement with the justice system. Students act as lead counsel and prepare cases for presentation before a federal jury. In most cases, students operate in pairs and divide tasks for their client, including in-person interviews, communication with clients and research into the claims of the case. All students must maintain a 711 license in order to participate in the program and work directly with a fully certified legal practitioner throughout their participation in the program.