Lois and Richard Rosenthal Institute for Justice

Short Video

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Significant Cases

Significant Cases

Upcoming Events

2011 Innocence Network Conference
April 8-10, 2011
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Past Events

Picking Cotton
September 17, 2009
Cincinnati Museum Center


Eyewitness Symposium
October 2, 2009
Ohio Supreme Court
Webcasts of the presentations are now available.

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Innocence Blog

Innocence blog

Innocence Network

Innocence Network

Staff

Mark A. Godsey (Faculty Director & Professor of Law)

Education

  • BS, Northwestern University
  • JD, The Ohio State University

Following his graduation from The Moritz College of Law at the Ohio State University, where he served as an articles editor of the Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif, summa cum laude and 2nd in his class, Professor Mark Godsey clerked for Chief Judge Monroe G. McKay of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Salt Lake City, Utah. He then practiced civil litigation and white collar-criminal defense at Jones, Day, Reavis and Pogue in Chicago and New York City, where he performed significant pro bono work for the Federal Public Defenders. Professor Godsey then joined the Department of Justice as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted federal crimes ranging from political corruption to hijacking to organized crime. As a federal prosecutor, Professor Godsey supervised FBI investigations, presented cases to federal grand juries, conducted jury and bench trials, and argued numerous appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He prosecuted several cases that received national media attention, and received several awards for his performance as an AUSA, including the Director's Award for Superior Performance, presented to him by then Attorney General Janet Reno, and a major award from the FBI.

Professor Godsey then joined the faculty at the Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University, where he was a Faculty Supervisor to the Kentucky Innocence Project. At Chase, Professor Godsey was awarded the Lukowsky Award for teaching excellence by vote of the graduating class of 2003. In 2004, his first year at UC Law, Professor Godsey was a recipient of the Goldman Prize for Excellence in Teaching. Professor Godsey also is the editor of CrimProf Blog, a blog for law professors, students and practitioners of criminal law and procedure.

Jennifer Paschen Bergeron (Attorney)

Attorney, Ohio Innocence Project

p: 513-556-4274

e-mail: jennifer.bergeron@uc.edu

BA in International Relations and French, Centre College, Phi Beta Kappa

MA in Foreign Affairs, University of Virginia

JD, University of Cincinnati

Following her graduation from University of Cincinnati College of Law, where she was a member of Law Review and a Fellow with the Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights, Jennifer Paschen Bergeron worked in general litigation at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP.

She later joined Ulmer & Berne LLP in the Labor and Employment Group before serving in her current position as attorney for the Ohio Innocence Project

Karla Markley Hall (Attorney)

Attorney, Ohio Innocence Project

p: 513-556-4273

e-mail: khall6@cinci.rr.com

BS, Miami University

JD, Ohio Northern University

Following her graduation from Ohio Northern University College of Law, where she was editor-in-chief of the Law Review and graduated second in her class, Karla Markley Hall clerked for the Honorable S. Arthur Spiegel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

Hall then worked as a civil litigation attorney for Helmer, Lugbill, Martins & Neff before becoming chief clerk for the Honorable William O. Bertelsman of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

In addition to her work as an attorney for the Ohio Innocence Project, Hall volunteers as a court-appointed special advocate and guardian ad litem for ProKids, an organization dedicated to protecting foster children.

David M. Laing (Attorney)

Attorney, Ohio Innocence Project

p: 513-556-4276

e-mail: david.laing@uc.edu

BA,Western Kentucky University

JD, University of Cincinnati

As a Fellow on the Ohio Innocence Project, David worked on the Clarence Elkins case.  Following graduation from the University of Cincinnati’s law school, David worked as a legislative aide to Cincinnati Councilmember and Ohio Innocence Project co-founder John Cranley.

Jodi Shorr

Executive Staff Assistant

p: 513-556-0752

e-mail: jodi.shorr@uc.edu