Jarrett Adams

Top Defense Attorney Specializing in Criminal Defense, Civil Rights, and Wrongful Conviction Cases, Philanthropist, and Adjunct Professor at Loyola University Chicago Law School

Topics: Societal Issues, Inspirational & Motivational, Black History Month, DE&I – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Human Rights, Resilience, Education, Business, Personal Development, Professional Development

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Biography

Jarrett Adams was wrongfully convicted of a crime at age 17 and sentenced to 28 years in a maximum-security prison. After serving nearly ten years and filing multiple appeals with the assistance of the Wisconsin Innocence Project, the Seventh Circuit United States Court of Appeals exonerated him.

He used the injustice he endured as inspiration to become an advocate and attorney for the underserved and often uncounted. Mr. Adams earned his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in May 2015.

During law school, Jarrett worked as an investigator for the Illinois Federal Defender’s Program. For his work with the clemency petition of Reynolds Wintersmith, ultimately granted by President Obama, he received the National Defender Investigator Association Investigator of the Year award.

He served as a public interest law fellow under the Hon. Ann Claire Williams, of the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. This is the same court that reversed his wrongful conviction because of his trial lawyer’s constitutional deficiencies. Jarrett also clerked in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York with the late Honorable Deborah Batts.

In early 2016, he started as an attorney with the Innocence Project in New York. Working in the litigation department, Jarrett earned one of his first victories, exonerating a man in the same Wisconsin prison where he had served time during his wrongful conviction.

He launched the Law Offices of Jarrett Adams, PLLC, in 2017 with offices and attorneys in New York, NY, Chicago, IL, and Milwaukee, WI. Jarrett expects to open a Los Angeles, CA office in 2022.

He is also a co-founder of Life After Justice, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing wrongful convictions and developing an ecosystem of support and empowerment for exonerees’ as they rebuild their lives after exoneration.

As an author, Jarrett shares a cinematic story of hope and redemption in his memoir, Redeeming Justice, to be released on September 14, 2021. His account of incarceration, exoneration, and redemption has been featured widely in the media, and he has become a sought-after motivational speaker for athletes, students, inmates, attorneys, and others.

Videos

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Redeeming Justice

Jarrett Adams was convicted at age seventeen of a crime he did not commit and sentenced to twenty-eight years in a maximum-security prison. After serving nearly ten years and filing multiple appeals, he was exonerated with the assistance of the Wisconsin Innocence Project. Adams used the injustice he endured as inspiration to become an attorney and advocate for the underserved. In this uplifting speech Adams shares his life story encouraging audience members to persevere in the face of adversity.

Fixing a Broken System

Speaking from experience as a civil rights and criminal defense lawyer, experienced investigator, and exoneree Jarrett Adams discusses the need for criminal justice reform and an end to racial injustice in our legal system. In this lecture Adams looks at the racist tactics used to convict young men of color, the unique challenges facing exonerees once released, and the lack of equal representation in our courts, illustrating how upholders of the law have a collective responsibility to push social justice reform forward and how they must be more proactive in the space.

Keeping Faith

In this motivational lecture, Adams speaks on how to keep faith during times of hopelessness and despair; touching on the importance of family units and support through prayer.

Confronting Burnout in the Legal Industry

Low morale and burnout are major issues for workers across industries, and the legal profession is no exception. In this encouraging talk, Jarrett Adams helps lawyers and legal professionals identify the signs and symptoms of burnout and low motivation. He shares actionable steps for setting personal and professional boundaries clearly and confidently as well as rediscovering inspiration and motivation, while continuing to help clients and customers.

Testimonials

Roosevelt University was honored to have Attorney Jarrett Adams speak at an event on Criminal Justice Reform, which attracted over 200 guests. The authentic energy and passion Attorney Adams brought to the conversation on his work and how to address inequities in the justice system was exceptional. We received a tremendous amount of positive feedback on how Attorney Adam’s boldly shared his story and his fight to help people in the circumstances he faced. Not only did he engage the audience, but he left them inspired and full of hope.

– Roosevelt University

What a pleasure it was to meet you and hear you speak! You have a powerful story to share, and one that I hope will increase awareness of the problems that need addressing within the criminal justice system. Your passion for change and your commitment to the issue was clear from your thought-provoking and meaningful presentation.

– State Bar of Wisconsin

Redeeming Justice is a beautifully written vessel of hope and redemption—each page a daring act of justified defiance in the face of a brutish penal system.

– Shaka Senghor, New York Times bestselling author of Writing My Wrongs

In a moving and beautifully crafted memoir, without hyperbole or rants, Jarrett Adams compellingly demonstrates the institutionalized racism of the American criminal justice system. When you finish, you will be grasped by two emotions: unbounded admiration for the author, and a need to scream, ‘We must do something.’

– Scott Turow, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Presumed Innocent