About the Clinic
The Second Look Clinic, directed by Clinical Associate Professor Kate Finley, works to challenge mass incarceration through individual representation of people serving excessive prison sentences.
Second Look Clinic students may:
- Represent people seeking parole release after serving many decades in prison
- File briefs in support of sentence adjustments for those serving Truth-in-Sentencing sentences
- Advocate on behalf of people sentenced to virtual life without parole sentences for crimes committed as children
- Work on cutting-edge litigation on behalf of those serving life sentences with the possibility of release
Students will develop their skills in interviewing, client counseling, fact investigation, legal research, and oral and written advocacy. In addition to direct representation of clients, students will consider relevant policy questions on issues concerning mass incarceration, racial justice and systemic change.
Clinic News
Summer 2024: The Second Look Clinic won release for a juvenile lifer who had served 23 years of a life sentence.
Information for Students
The Second Look Clinic is a 6-credit, one-semester clinic for second and third-year law students. Clinic students will participate in weekly supervision meetings as well as twice-weekly seminars.
Information for the Public
The Second Look Clinic accepts applications from incarcerated people seeking assistance with sentence adjustments, parole advocacy, sentence modification, and petition for release under Wis. Stat. 302.114. To apply for assistance, please fill out the following application and email it to us at fjrc@law.wisc.edu or fill in the hard copy Remington Center application available in the law library at Wisconsin state correctional facilities, and send to the address listed below.
Contact Information
Second Look Clinic
Frank J. Remington Center
975 Bascom Mall
UW-Madison Law School
Madison, WI 53706
608-262-1002
Photo by Bryce Richter / UW-Madison
