Stanford Law School Three Strikes Project

The Stanford Law School Three Strikes Project, established in 2006, is part of the Mills Legal Clinics and provides legal representation to individuals serving life sentences under California's three strikes law for minor, non-violent felonies. The project, directed by attorney Michael Romano, offers students hands-on experience by allowing them to represent clients in federal and state courts. Students work in teams, visiting clients in prison, conducting investigations, and preparing court documents.

The project seeks to secure release through resentencing hearings or constitutional challenges, often citing ineffective assistance of counsel, cruel punishment, or new evidence. Despite Supreme Court rulings limiting relief for harsh sentences (Ewing v. California and Lockyer v. Andrade), the project has successfully reversed over 150 cases since its inception. Clients have included individuals sentenced to life for minor offenses like drug possession, theft of small amounts, and shoplifting.

The project has garnered significant media attention from outlets such as the New York Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times, The Economist, and BBC.