Incarcerated Individuals Legal Assistance Project
The Incarcerated Individuals Legal Assistance Project (ILAP) offers students a unique opportunity to sharpen their practical legal skills while providing free legal research to incarcerated individuals at the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana and other prisons across the country.
ILAP is a student-run pro-bono organization that functions under the guidance of an experienced appellate attorney. Students aid incarcerated individuals on a variety of legal issues, from post-conviction relief and ineffective assistance of counsel claims to tort claims and family law. During a typical year, students have the opportunity to complete legal research for their assigned client while also processing new requests from incarcerated people and completing intakes.
The opportunities with ILAP go beyond intakes and legal research and writing. Volunteers may also have the chance to visit their clients or future ILAP clients at their respective prisons. In addition, ILAP hosts many trainings and events on topics such as habeas corpus, mass incarceration, life in and out of prison, and more!
We encourage students to participate in this project even if they do not plan to practice criminal law. Aside from dealing with criminal law issues, ILAP provides research for many civil claims and often provides law students with their first client interaction in a legal setting. The knowledge and skills learned through volunteering with ILAP will help students develop experience-based careers in the legal community.
If you are interested in joining ILAP, please come to one of our call out meetings, join our Canvas page, visit us in Room 005 or email us at ilap@indiana.edu. We hope you will join us.
Student Executive Board
- Samantha Espada, Senior Advisor
- Beka Schwartz, Student Director
- Haley Powell, Director of Administration
- Allie Morris, Research Director
- David Robins, Research Director
- Lauren Spratt, Research Director
- Megan Burtis, Research Director
ILAP is very grateful to receive funding from the Maurer School of Law, the IU Student Foundation, and the IU Metz Grant.