KU students learn about death penalty

Kingston law students attended training at Amicus – an organisation that helps those in America who are facing a death sentence.

Amicus was founded in 1992 and according to its website, it fights for people “who are, for the sake of the economy, history, and race, the most vulnerable in society”.

It trains lawyers and postgraduate students to work in capital defence offices across the US. The training programmes also teach legal research as well as evidence and professional conduct. It was held in London and cost £55 for students to attend the two-weekend course.

One KU attendee said: “I found it very inspirational to learn about the ways you can help from a human rights perspective.

“Knowing that you can make such an impact is really rewarding and something I cannot wait to achieve in the future.”

As well as the training events, Amicus hosts different talks with different people, such as professors from different universities across the world, journalists, and barristers.

Events and fundraising officer Ella Joshi said: “I think these events are great in terms of raising awareness about the injustice of the death penalty and why the work Amicus does is so important.

“People come away from our events with a new or more comprehensive understanding of the US criminal justice system, and they want to get more involved with us and our casework.”

Ella tells how she got her masters in criminology and criminal justice at the University of Oxford, and that she “was hoping to find a job at an organization whose mission I believed in, ideally in human rights-based work”.

When asked about the work she has done with Amicus, she said: “Working at Amicus has been one of the greatest experiences of my life.

“I have been able to meet so many incredible people in this position, including death row exonerees and capital defence lawyers.”

To learn more about Amicus, you can visit their website www.amicus-alj.org.