The Role of Lawyers in Addressing Structural Injustice in the Criminal Punishment System

What role do lawyers play in perpetuating structural racism and injustice within America’s system of mass incarceration? What role can lawyers play in transforming the criminal punishment system? On October 7, 2020, Alec Karakatsanis, founder and executive director of Civil Rights Corps, spoke about his book, Usual Cruelty: The Complicity of Lawyers in the Criminal Injustice System, with commentary by Professor Michael Meltsner.