Get Involved
You can support our work by making a donation or giving your time.
Donate
Across Colorado, untold numbers of wrongfully convicted people are waiting in prison. You can help.
We rely on private donations to pay for DNA testing, hire experts, and cover all the costs of litigating our cases. A DNA test can cost as little as $1,000 and may be the key to an innocent person's freedom.
We are a small organization within the University of Colorado Law School. Although the law school generously provides us with office space, we are otherwise responsible for raising our entire budget, including the salaries of our talented lawyers.
For as little as $25 a month, become a sustaining supporter of the Korey Wise Innocence Project. Or, make a one-time donation to support our work of exonerating the innocent.
Volunteer
If you would like to have a more active role in our work, we have volunteer opportunities for law students, undergraduates, pro bono lawyers or law firms, criminal investigators, and community members. Please read more about our needs and criteria below. We generally only take volunteers a couple of times a year, so please be aware of the deadlines to apply.
Law Students
- Volunteer Positions in Fall and Spring semesters: We add new law student volunteers at the beginning of every Fall semester. We require a year-long commitment for new volunteers, with a weekly commitment of three to five hours. New volunteers primarily help with screening new applications received from people in prison. We hold an informational meeting at the beginning of every fall semester and then accept applications.
- Summer Positions: Law students can apply for a full-time or part-time summer position with KWIP. We accept applications in March and then make offers by April 1st. Colorado Law students are eligible to receive work-study funding for summer positions.
- Externships: Law students at Colorado Law are also eligible to receive academic credits for completing an externship with KWIP. Externships can be completed in the Fall and Spring semester, as well as over the summer. For more information, click here.
Undergraduate students
Each semester, we welcome a limited number of undergraduate interns or volunteers. Undergraduates assist in responding to correspondence from people in prison seeking our help. They also assist with planning events (both on and off campus) to raise awareness about wrongful convictions and broader problems within our criminal legal system.
To apply for an undergraduate position, fill out this application and email it to koreywiseinnocence@colorado.edu by the below deadlines:
- Fall semester positions: Applications due July 1 and offers made by August 1.
- Spring semester positions: Applications due November 15 and offers made by December 15.
- Summer positions: Applications due March 15 and offers made by April 15.
Lawyers, law firms, and criminal investigators
We are able to screen more applications and represent more innocent people with the help of pro bono lawyers and investigators.
- Law Firms: We are currently partnering with several commercial litigation firms on both litigation and case screening. If your firm is interested in exploring a pro bono partnership with KWIP, we look forward to hearing from you. Please email our Executive Director, Anne-Marie Moyes, at annemarie.moyes@colorado.edu.
- Lawyers: If you are a lawyer with experience in criminal defense work and want to volunteer with KWIP, email us at koreywiseinnocence@colorado.edu. In your email, tell us about your criminal defense experience (or attach a resume) and what time commitment you can make to KWIP. (If you are a lawyer with no criminal defense experience, we do not currently have the capacity to provide training. You are still welcome to email us and get on our waiting list for when training does become available.)
- Criminal Investigators: KWIP does not have any investigators on staff and we welcome the help of volunteer investigators with experience in criminal defense. If you have experience as a criminal investigator and are interested in volunteering, contact our staff attorney, Kathleen Lord, at kathleen.lord@colorado.edu.
Community Members
If you are a community member with no legal experience, here are ways that you can get involved with KWIP:
- Host a Fundraising Party: Hosting a fundraising party in your home is a great way to introduce your friends to our cause and help us raise money. To host a party, you simply invite your friends and provide food and beverages, and KWIP brings an exoneree to share their powerful story. These events have been highly successful in helping us meet our fundraising goals, and they offer an engaging way to learn about how wrongful convictions happen. To learn more, contact our Faculty Director at ann.england@colorado.edu.
- Speaking Engagements:Do you belong to an active community group, faith community, or professional organization? We enjoy speaking to a range of audiences about our work. Coordinate with us to set up a speaking engagement with your group and help us to raise awareness about wrongful convictions. For more information, contact our Executive Director at annemarie.moyes@colorado.edu.
- Other Special Skills: If you have expertise in social media, grant writing or event planning, we may have a volunteer opportunity for you. Email us at koreywiseinnocence@colorado.edu, describe your relevant experience, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.