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
Jarrett Adams - #WONTSTOPRUNNING Interview
P&P Live! Jarrett Adams | REDEEMING JUSTICE with Shaka Senghor
Jarrett Adams, Wrongfully Convicted at 17, Discusses Criminal Justice System
Jarrett Adams Interview
Speech TopicsExpand each topic to learn more
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.
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.
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.
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
Booksby Jarrett Adams
Add to Your Wishlist Redeeming Justice: From Defendant to Defender, My Fight for Equity on Both Sides of a Broken System
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