I grew up in San Jose and hope to practice as a JAG attorney and criminal defense. NCIP was one of the primary reasons I came to Santa Clara. Outside of law school, I love backpacking and reading about world affairs, the San Francisco Giants, and anything related to psychology. I also compete with the Santa Clara boxing team and practice MMA. Special thanks to my family, friends, and the other students at Santa Clara. Their love and support have made law school an extremely rewarding experience.

Felicity Evans is a third-year law student at Santa Clara Law. Prior to law school, she attended California State University, Fresno where she received a B.A in Political Science and Philosophy. At Santa Clara Law, she serves as the Co-President of the law school’s Trial Team. Felicity is passionate about social justice and an advocate for criminal justice reform. She is excited to be participating in NCIP this year and helping the organization in its fight for justice.

Mattie Peters is a third-year law student at Santa Clara Law. She grew up in Ventura, California and attended University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and minored in Sociology and Anthropology. Mattie is currently Co-President of SCU Law Eats and a Senior Associate on the Journal of International Law. Mattie hopes to become a public defender and is passionate about advocating for those who are disproportionately and negatively impacted by the criminal justice system. She is excited to join the NCIP team in fighting to exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals.

I’m a third-year law student from Salinas, CA. I obtained my degree in Sociology and minor in Human Rights from San José State University. While at SJSU, I participated in the first Human Rights Institution working group where we worked to proactively expunge cannabis-related offenses and establish the foundation for a Cannabis Equity Program. At SCU Law I’m a member of the advisory board for the Center for Social Justice and student board for LLSA,BLSA, and First-Gen. I’m extremely passionate about restorative justice and the criminal legal system and very eager to contribute to NCIP’s beautiful mission and work, exonerating the innocent.

Matthew Roby is a third-year law student at Santa Clara Law. He was born and raised in England, and moved to Fresno, California in 2010. Prior to law school, he graduated cum laude from the Smittcamp Family Honors College at Fresno State with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. At Santa Clara Law, Matt has competed in the quarter-finals of the 2021 Honors Moot Court competition and is currently on the Trial Team. He has also interned at both the Santa Clara and Contra Costa District Attorney’s Offices. Matthew is passionate about advocating for an equitable criminal justice system and is excited to work with NCIP in exonerating wrongfully convicted people.

Helen Tang graduated from UCLA in 2015 with a B.A. in Asian American Studies and a minor in Labor and Workplace Studies. Prior to law school, she worked as a legal assistant in corporate and bankruptcy law. In the summer of 2022, she interned for the federal research laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, CA. Helen’s passion in law school have been learning about the intersection of technology and social justice. More specifically, how AI technology can negatively affect and harm the end-user or people of color. She is excited to contribute to NCIP’s mission to educate, exonerate, and reform.

Lauren Mazzeo is a third-year law student at Santa Clara Law. Prior to law school, she obtained two bachelors’ degrees in Advanced Psychology and Legal Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. After graduating from college, she volunteered with City Year AmeriCorps in East San Jose, where she worked as a peer mentor and tutor for students at Overfelt High School. During her time at Santa Clara Law, Lauren has been a member of the Criminal Law Society and Honors Moot Court boards and has worked as a research assistant for immigration law professors Pratheepan Gulasekaram and Evangeline Abriel. Lauren is eager to begin her work with NCIP in pursuit of her passions of criminal justice reform and social justice.

Selam Solomon is a third-year law student at SCU Law. She was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and lived in Minnesota before moving to the Bay Area. During law school, Selam has served on the board of the Black Law Student Association, Immigration Law Society, and the SBA Legislative Committee. She is also a member of the SCU law Trial Team and a mentor at the Legal Education Access Pipeline, which is an organization working to diversify the legal profession. She has worked at the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office as a summer law clerk serving the most vulnerable communities to the criminal legal system. She is looking forward to learning about post-conviction work and how she can prevent wrongful convictions as an aspiring public defender.

Kyle Vogel graduated from American University in 1993 and immediately avoided law school. After a career spanning nonprofit fundraising / grantwriting, for-profit sales, food business management and ownership, and an ill-advised stint in logistics, Kyle decided it was finally time to go to law school. As a student at Santa Clara Law, Kyle has been focused on public interest and has participated in the consumer law clinic at KGACLC, interned with the Sacramento and Santa Clara public defender offices, and is currently working with NCIP. Kyle plans to use his law degree to benefit his community … exactly how has yet to be determined.

My name is Gabriel Medina and I am 3L at SCU Law. In my downtime outside of law school, I enjoy skiing, rock climbing, and long road trips. I joined NCIP to contribute to the important and impactful work the Clinic does in not only helping those who have been wrongly convicted achieve freedom, but in advancing policies that will continue to shape our criminal justice system in a reformative way. As an aspiring public defender, I am excited about the opportunity to build my advocacy skills through the Clinic so that I may better serve those I work with in my legal career following graduation.

I am a third-year law student at Santa Clara University. I am a first generation American and law student. I have a passion for both Criminal Law and Privacy Law. One of my most memorable moments as a law student was the time I spent externing at the Santa Clara County’s Public Defender’s Office. I am most interested in wrongful convictions and am thrilled about the opportunity to get to assist the wrongly convicted in the exoneration process. My favorite podcasts are Ear Hustle and Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom.

Sarah Reed is a third-year law student at Santa Clara Law. Prior to law school, she attended San Jose State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Justice Studies. Prior to starting law school, she interned at the Superior Court of Santa Clara County in the self-help center. Sarah is a first-generation law student. Prior to working for NCIP, Sarah spent the her first-year summer at the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office where she worked with the juvenile team. She spent her second-year interning with East Bay Family Defenders office and a local family law firm. She then spent her second-year summer interning at a second local family law firm. She continues to work at the family law firm part-time during law school. Sarah’s top priority is to assist her community and is committed to public service and is excited to work with NCIP.

Ella Wesly is a 3L originally from Springfield, IL that came to law school to find a way to give back to the community after years of working in the commercial Art Market of New York. She comes from a diverse family of Polish and Dominican parents, which molded her worldview as a young girl growing up in the Midwest. This worldview brought her to the Northern California Innocence project because it is an opportunity to get to help those that were failed by the US system, much like the political systems that her parents ran from.

Morgan Fuller Kolsrud is a 2L in the part-time program at Santa Clara Law. She has a B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University and an M.A. in Sport Management from the University of San Francisco. Morgan has a background in the sports industry and currently serves as an athlete representative with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. A former Olympic-level synchronized swimmer, Morgan became involved in athlete representation to advocate for athletes’ rights and implement systemic changes. At Santa Clara Law, Morgan serves as an Associate of the Santa Clara Law Review, Volume 63, competes for the Santa Clara University Club Swim Team, and was the winner of the Best Brief Award for the 2022 Galloway Moot Court competition. Morgan is passionate about social justice issues and advocating for those who have been wronged by systemic injustices.

Michelle Fregoso is a third-year law student at Santa Clara Law. Before law school, she attended UC Santa Cruz where she received a bachelor’s degree in Politics with a minor in Legal Studies. While at UC Santa Cruz, she worked as a legal assistant at Senior Citizens Legal Services and spent a quarter in Washington D.C. where she interned at the U.S. Department of Education in the Office for Civil Rights. At Santa Clara Law, she is on the executive board of American Constitution Society and Social Justice Coalition. Whether it is advocating for public policies or litigating on the front lines, Michelle is committed to seeing the end of our racist prison pipeline. She is excited to help the NCIP team exonerate the wrongfully convicted and promote necessary policy reform.

KateMarie is a third-year law student at Santa Clara. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from UC Davis, where she also worked as a research assistant studying the transmission of belief. During her 2L Spring and Summer, she interned at the Santa Clara Public Defender’s office and hopes to return to public defense work post-graduation. KateMarie is passionate about educating the public on the issues that criminal defendants face and seeing a reformation of the criminal system. Outside of school, she prioritizes spending time with her cat and two dogs. KateMarie looks forward to working with the NCIP this year and expanding her advocacy abilities.

Lanna Sanchez is a third-year law student at Santa Clara Law. Prior to law school, she obtained a degree in Public Policy Analysis and a minor in Chicanx/Latinx Studies from Pomona College as a Posse Scholar. After graduating college, she worked at the Family Law Facilitator’s Office of San Mateo County, where she provided legal services to self-represented litigants in family law. Lanna has also interned at private civil litigation firms as well as Lawyers for Children in New York City and Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County. While in law school, Lanna serves as an Academic Success Program Fellow and is the Secretary of the First Generation Law Students Association. She is passionate about social justice, human rights, and reforming systems of inequity. She is excited to join the NCIP team and contribute to their mission of promoting a fair, effective, and compassionate justice system and protecting the rights of the innocent.

Will McClanahan is a third-year student at Santa Clara Law School. Prior to law school, he attended the University of Colorado, where he received his B.A. in International Relations and Spanish. At Santa Clara Law, Will serves as an Associate of the Santa Clara Law Review, Volume 62; he is a member of the Tech Edge J.D. program, and he competed as a standby semi-finalist in the 2021 Galloway Moot Court competition. Will is passionate about criminal justice reform, human rights, and debunking junk science in order to exonerate those who have been wrongfully convicted.

Ryba Bhullar is a third-year law student at Santa Clara Law. Prior to law school, she attended Santa Clara University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Spanish Studies, and a minor in Retail Studies. At Santa Clara Law, Ryba has done research for criminal law professors, David Ball and Michelle Oberman; is currently an Academic Success Fellow, and the co-president for the First Generation Law Students Association. She began interning at the Santa Clara DA’s Office earlier this year. Ryba is passionate about human rights, and is grateful for this opportunity to join the NCIP team’s fight for justice.

Nallely Montes is a third-year law student at Santa Clara Law. Prior to law school, she attended UC Berkeley, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Ethnic Studies. While at UC Berkeley, Nallely was a teaching assistant in an Organic Chemistry Lab and helped coordinate accessible community health events with Stanford University. At Santa Clara Law, Nallely has competed in the quarter-finals of the 2021 Galloway Moot Court competition and serves on the board of the Latinx Law Student Association. Nallely is interested in pursuing a career in criminal law and is excited to work with the NCIP team in exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals.

Kelsey Belli is a third-year student in the evening program at Santa Clara Law School. She grew up in the Bay Area and attended California State University, Chico, where she earned a dual B.A. in International Relations and French. While in law school, Kelsey works full time at the Santa Cruz Superior Court as a Criminal Courtroom Clerk. She is currently on the executive board of Latinx Law Student Association, Social Justice Coalition, and Women & Law. Kelsey is also an associate in the Journal of International Law, and Co-Vice President of Part-Time Students in the Student Bar Association. Kelsey is passionate about social justice and human rights, and she is excited to join the NCIP team’s fight for criminal justice.