Our shared mission is to bridge the gap between academia and on-the-ground criminal justice reform
Operating as usual
12/19/2024
“This legislation is groundbreaking. If enacted, it will be the first general expungement statute in federal history, addressing a centuries-old legal gap,” explained Luna. “While pardons eliminate legal penalties, they don’t erase the conviction record, which can hinder access to employment, education and housing. Congressman Armstrong’s bill bridges that gap, offering true second chances for deserving individuals.”
Academy for Justice Faculty Director Erik Luna has been been working hard to get true second chances for presidential pardon recipients through expungements.
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law Professor Erik Luna said the “proposed legislation is both groundbreaking and long overdue.”
“If enacted, it will be the first general expungement statute in federal history, resolving a legal conundrum some two centuries in the making,” he said.
Join Academy for Justice Faculty Director Erik Luna on December 10 as he participates in a virtual discussion on the past, present, and future of the President's power hosted by the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center at Ohio State.
Panelists:
Mark Osler, Robert & Marion Short Distinguished Professor of Law, University of St. Thomas School of Law
Rachel Barkow, Charles Seligson Professor of Law; Faculty Director, Zimroth Center on the Administration of Criminal Law; NYU School of Law
Eric Luna, Amelia D. Lewis Professor of Constitutional and Criminal Law, Foundation Professor; Faculty Director, Academy for Justice; Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
Larry Kupers, Former Deputy Pardon Attorney (Obama Administration); Former Acting Pardon Attorney (Trump Administration); Former Federal Defender
Moderator:
Douglas Berman, Newton D. Baker-Baker & Hostetler Chair in Law; Executive Director, Drug Enforcement and Policy Center; The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
06/24/2024
We are still accepting submissions for the 2024 presented by Academy for Justice and Arizona State Law Journal. The contest is open to anyone enrolled full-time at an ABA-accredited at the time of submission. The winner will receive $1,000 in prize money, and the winner’s article will be considered for publication in the Arizona State Law Journal. More info on how to enter👇https://arizonastatelawjournal.org/national-writing-competition/
06/13/2024
The Academy for Justice and Arizona State Law Journal are now accepting submissions for the 2024 . Submissions are due by July 10. Winning articles will receive $1000 prize money and the opportunity to be published in a future issue of the Arizona State Law Journal.
The Academy for Justice and the Arizona State Law Journal Present: The 2024 National Student Writing Competition on Criminal Justice Reform. The winning submission will be awarded $1,000 and the potential for publication in the Arizona State Law Journal.
- Applicants must be enrolled full-time at an ABA-accredited law school at the time of submission.
- Applicants may write on any criminal justice topic, but all submissions should offer recommendation(s) or solution(s) to the problem(s) being highlighted.
- Articles must be no longer than 10,000 words, including footnotes. Shorter articles are also encouraged.
- Article selection criteria will include clarity, accessibility of arguments, practical relevance, measured tone, and discussion of nonpartisan recommendation(s) or solution(s).
Reforming Criminal Justice is a four-volume report meant to enlighten reform efforts in the United States with the research and analysis of leading academics. Broken down into individual chapters—each authored by a top scholar in the relevant field—the report covers dozens of topics within the areas of criminalization, policing, pretrial and trial processes, punishment, incarceration, and release. The chapters seek to enhance both professional and public understanding of the subject matter, to facilitate an appreciation of the relevant scholarly literature and the need for reform, and to offer potential solutions. The ultimate goal is to increase the likelihood of success when worthwhile reforms are debated, put to a vote or otherwise considered for action, and implemented in the criminal justice system.
In this way, Reforming Criminal Justice hopes to bridge the gap between scholarship on the books and legal reform on the ground. The report is the culmination of a yearlong collaboration by the Academy for Justice, a loose-knit coalition of dozens of criminal justice scholars. The group’s title carries two meanings: [1] the work-product is from the “academy” (i.e., the professoriate) in its attempt to contribute to criminal justice reform; and [2] the endeavor might lead to the creation of an “academy” (i.e., a real or virtual institution) concerned with justice issues. Although the Academy for Justice may well become a platform for future projects, for now at least, it is simply a vehicle for the report.
This project was made possible by a generous grant from the Charles Koch Foundation (CKF), and by support from Arizona State University (ASU) and the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law (ASU Law). CKF is a non-profit organization, and ASU and ASU Law are non-profit public institutions of higher education. The Academy for Justice is a non-profit academic coalition, and Reforming Criminal Justice is a non-commercial, non-partisan report. The grantors and institutional grantees had no editorial input or control over the report and its contents, and they were not involved in the selection of authors and project participants.
Erik Luna
Amelia D. Lewis Professor of Constitutional & Criminal Law
Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law
Arizona State University