- About Us
- What We Do
- Special Projects
- Clemency
- Federal Litigation Advisory Group
- Forensic Science Project
- Immigrant Justice Practice
- Impact Litigation Project
- Access to Appeals
- Justice First Project
- Legislation Committee
- Racial Justice Project
- SORA
- Survivors Advocacy Practice
- The Plea Project
- Youth and Emergent Adult Resentencing Project
- Youthful Offender Reapplication Project
- For Clients & Families
- For the Legal Community
Impact Litigation Project
The Impact Litigation Project develops and implements impact-litigation strategies for changing the law by fighting for legal rulings in criminal and civil cases that bolster liberty .
The Project’s goal is to develop legal theories with an eye towards obtaining a favorable decision from the New York appellate courts, federal habeas courts, or the U.S. Supreme Court.
To facilitate the broad implementation of these strategies, the Impact Lit project peridodically prepares and distributes memos targeting issues ripe for challenge. Our memos and updates are available below.
Impact Lit Series, Volume 1
October ’22
Attacking New York's Meaningful Representation Standard
Impact Lit Series, Volume 2
Jan. ’23
Garrett Is Unconstitutional
Bi-Annual SCOTUS Update
February '24
Client Stories
67 years old and a lawful permanent resident for almost 50 years, was the exclusive and devoted caretaker of her profoundly disabled adult son, who had suffered a devastating stroke as a toddler on the journey to the United States. Abandoned by her husband, isolated by language and culture, and estranged from her family in her birth country, Ms. A marshalled all her inner resources and strength to successfully raise and care for her son. Their life together faced imminent threat, however, when Ms. A, after years of struggle, turned to drugs and was convicted in 2010 of a drug offense, triggering ICE involvement and mandatory deportation for her first and only contact with the criminal justice system. CAL’s work on Ms. A’s behalf eliminated the threat of mandatory deportation and allowed her to resume her life with her son without fear of exile.
- Ms. A.
Client Stories
Came to the United States from the Caribbean when he was nine years old and has been undocumented since that time. He is considered a “DREAMER”—an individual brought to the United States at a young age through no will of his own, who grew up in the United States, and who knows no other country as home. In 2015, Joey applied for the federal government’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and authorization to work in the United States lawfully. However, because of a conviction for a violation of the New York State Public Health law that resulted from an arrest for “unlicensed pick-up of trash”—a conviction that resulted only in a $50 fine—Joey’s DACA application was denied. Through investigation and advocacy, IJP worked to vacate and dismiss Joey’s conviction. He has since reapplied for DACA and work authorization, and plans to work hard to save money so he can attend college in the future.
- Joey
Client Stories
An upstanding and deeply rooted member of his community here in New York, came to the United States more than thirty years ago, when he was eleven years old. Although all of his many immediate family members are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, Mr. C remained unable to obtain lawful immigration status and at risk of deportation, all because of two low-level summons convictions for unlawful possession of marijuana from the 1990s. IJP unearthed evidence that Mr. C had been deprived of his right to counsel in these cases and successfully moved to vacate his convictions. Mr. C may now become a lawful permanent resident and, eventually, a U.S. citizen.
- Mr. C.
Client Stories
Is a young lawful permanent resident whose parents brought him to the U.S when he was only 14 years old. As a result of one 2011 misdemeanor conviction, he was placed in deportation proceedings, even though he had no additional contact with law enforcement after his conviction and had begun working hard to provide the sole support for his U.S. citizen mother. Through advocacy on direct appeal and via collateral attack, IJP successfully obtained the vacatur of Santos’ conviction and an immigration-safe disposition that will protect him from deportation and allow him to remain in the United States.
- Santos
Client Stories
A breast cancer survivor and mother and grandmother of U.S. citizens, has lived in the United States as a lawful permanent resident since the early 1960s. Trapped in an abusive marriage, Ms. M struggled with substance abuse and, during that turbulent period in her life, was convicted twice of shoplifting. After the second offense, she decided to turn her life around and did, and was drug-free for over eight years when ICE detained and brought removal charges against her, which threatened to devastate her and her family, and posed a serious risk to her health. IJP’s advocacy resulted in a disposition for Ms. M that will allow her to remain in the United States with her family.
- Ms. M.
IJP co-directors Robin Nichinsky and Marianne C. Yang coordinate the full range of CAL’s representation of noncitizen clients together with CAL’s Assistant Attorney-in-Charge Mark Zeno. Robin is a veteran appellate criminal defense lawyer with specialized knowledge in post-conviction relief practice for immigrants, having spearheaded CAL’s work in this area with Mark more than a decade ago. Marianne has more than fifteen years of experience in the field of immigrant rights, with specialized knowledge in the defense of immigrants who have been accused of crimes.
Other Special Projects
CLEMENCY PROJECT
Executive clemency is powerful tool for those who are still suffering the consequences of past convictions.
FEDERAL LITIGATION ADVISORY GROUP
Although CAL legal advocacy for its clients often ends at the Court of Appeals, it is essential that we devote meaningful attention to criminal federal court proceedings.
FORENSIC SCIENCE PROJECT
Started in 2018, FSP litigates (and supports the litigation of) claims involving forensic science.
IMMIGRANT JUSTICE PRACTICE
Our Immigrant Justice Practice (IJP) zealously pursues post-conviction relief for noncitizen clients to advance their rights and protect them from the threat of immigration incarceration and deportation as a result of their criminal conviction.
Impact Litigation Project
The Impact Litigation Project develops and implements impact-litigation strategies for changing the law by fighting for legal rulings in criminal and civil cases that bolster liberty.
IN FORMA PAUPERIS & ACCESS TO APPEALS
After an indigent individual pleads guilty or is found guilty at trial, they are all too often forgotten about and lost to the system
JUSTICE FIRST
There is no longer any debate that the criminal justice system generates wrongful convictions, cases in which innocent people are sentenced to long periods of prison for crimes they did not commit.
RACIAL JUSTICE PROJECT
The criminal legal system is a particularly stark and sobering example of the myriad ways in which racial bias and inequity infect our society.
SORA
In New York, individuals who are released from prison after completing their sentences for sex offenses must register with the Division of Criminal Justice Services.
SURVIVORS ADVOCACY PRACTICE
CAL’s Survivors Advocacy Practice represents survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking who are seeking post-conviction relief.
Youthful Offender Reapplication Project
Youthful Offender Adjudication is an immensely important disposition for young people since a "YO" adjudication is not a conviction.
Youth and Emergent Adult Resentencing Project
Haunted by the reality that young adults whom CAL represented years and sometimes decades earlier are still serving the crushing sentences imposed by the trial court and unremediated on appeal, CAL developed the YEARS project.