The Exoneration Justice Clinic at Notre Dame Law School is dedicated to correcting wrongful convictions and providing support to exonerated individuals. The clinic offers law students real-world experience in representing clients who were wrongfully convicted, gaining insights into the criminal justice system. However, the clinic has also allowed a select group of undergraduate students to participate in these efforts to correct miscarriages of justice.
The Exoneration Justice Clinic has partnered with the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights’ Melsheimer Fellows Program to take on students passionate about preserving civil and human rights in the field of criminal justice and law.
The Melsheimer Fellowship is a two-year experiential learning program that the Klau Institute launched in 2024 with generous support from Thomas and Michelle Melsheimer. Through the program, fellows serve the community with partner organizations including One More Citizen, La Casa de Amistad, and the Exoneration Justice Clinic or may choose to work as research assistants for a faculty member affiliated with the Klau Institute.
The fellowship program is designed to provide students with experiences that will help them see firsthand how the ideals of civil and human rights play out in people’s lives.
Mia Chetalo, a junior majoring in global affairs and minoring in civil and human rights, is in her second year of the Melsheimer Fellowship. She described her participation as a “full-circle moment.” In her applications to Notre Dame, she wrote about the University’s commitment to criminal justice and prisoner education programs.
“It has been very formative and interesting to see how the things we have learned in class, like the main indicators of wrongful conviction, play out in the cases,” Chetalo said.
In the fall of this academic year, Chetalo’s work at the clinic allowed her to sit in on the exoneration course taught by Notre Dame Law Professor Jimmy Gurulé, a former federal prosecutor who directs the clinic. The course is part of the weekly classroom component for participating law students, so she treasured the opportunity to join them as an undergraduate student. “It was a really good experience because I want to go to law school, and that has made me feel more prepared,” she said.
Chetalo’s experience at the Exoneration Justice Clinic has allowed her to explore these passions while opening the door to future professional experiences. She will be interning at the Innocence Project of Florida this summer. “Working at the EJC, thanks to the support of the Klau Institute, gave me the skills to secure this internship,” she said.
‘It’s a dream job’
Graduating seniors Bella Vasquez and Josh Talache-Wheat similarly reflected on how their placement as Melsheimer Fellows at the Exoneration Justice Clinic has energized their ambitions to carry out justice in their careers.
Talache-Wheat, a major in philosophy with a minor in civil and human rights, has been at the clinic for two years and will continue his work there after graduation. “I really love working at the EJC,” he said. “It’s a dream job.”
He has received mentorship from expert attorneys and values this guidance as he begins a career in law. “This job is really amazing because you're able to advocate for people that don’t have anyone else, all while working with the best of the best in this field,” he said.
Vasquez will also be starting as a full-time employee at the clinic after graduation.
“It’s really good work that I love doing and that I’m very passionate about, so I’m really grateful that I can continue doing it for the next year,” she said. Vasquez began as an intern at the start of her senior year, and by the end of her first semester, she was offered a part-time position at the clinic. Once on an intake team assessing the viability of cases to present to the Mexican consulate, she is now going to oversee these teams herself.
Echoing Talache-Wheat’s sentiments, Vasquez expressed gratitude for the mentors she has been able to access through her placement at the clinic. “I’m so appreciative of the attorneys at the EJC and how trusting they are with the students,” she said. “Of course, this is a daunting task because we have people’s lives in our hands. But their guidance and trust make this an incredible experience.”
In a field where the facts of the cases and the legal research can become removed from the lived realities of clients, Vasquez is grounded in the heart of her work.
“For me, this is most fulfilling when I get to have conversations with our clients. It puts a face to the name,” she said. “You can read up on the facts of someone’s life, but it’s really different being able to sit down with them and their family members. It humanizes the experience.”
Jennifer Mason McAward, an associate professor of law and director of the Klau Institute, said her hope is that the Melsheimer Fellowship will instill in students a lifelong commitment to advancing civil and human rights.
“Seeing the impact that the EJC has had on our students — and the impact our students have had on the EJC — is a source of great pride and inspiration,” she said.
Gurulé, the clinic’s director, added, “The Klau Melsheimer Fellows are passionate and dedicated to correcting the miscarriage of justice and assisting our innocent clients to regain their freedom. Bella, Mia, and Josh have made an invaluable contribution to the mission of the EJC.”
Learn more about the Klau Institute’s Melsheimer Fellows Program.