State Appellate Defender Office

10/08/2026

MAACS Youth Appellate Defense Counsel Josh Pease!

ICYMI: Watch video recording of MSC oral arguments in 169064, In re NDD, which was argued on October 7. https://buff.ly/D8kN4HN

10/07/2026

A group of SADO's Assistant Defenders showed up at MSU College of Law last Friday night for the Spartan Defender Criminal Defense Networking Night. Thanks to Ali Swain, Erin Bartels, Chris Wickman, and Ryan Keast for spreading the word about how great our work is!

10/06/2026

SADO is hiring an investigator! This position is for either the Lansing or the Detroit office, and applications are due by October 23, 2026. Check out the posting for more details, and visit www.SADO.org to learn more about us and our work.

10/05/2026

10/02/2026

Duane Williams was innocent. Still, he was forced to spend more than 11 years in prison for wrongful arson and murder convictions. Injustices like his are not an anomaly. On this Wrongful Conviction Day, we honor Mr. Williams and the thousands of people who have been exonerated and the thousands of others who are waiting for their day. Endless gratitude to organizations like Organization of Exonerees, The Innocence Network, the Innocence Project, the Michigan Innocence Clinic, and the Cooley Law School Innocence Project who fight for and support the innocent. Visit our website for more stories of freedom:
https://www.sado.org/Page/56/Innocence-Resources

10/01/2026

SADO Paralegal Lisa Lamarre will be speaking at the WTD Virtual Conference next week, on "Holding Space for Abolition and Law Enforcement in Your Home." Go to the link for more, including registration information!

Social workers, great news! The WTD 2026 Virtual Conference is now a CEU opportunity! This program is Approved by the National Association of Social Workers (886791803-1473) for 11 continuing education hours.

For more information or to purchase your CEU Add-On ticket, follow the registration link or link in bio: https://hubs.li/Q04xFJ_20

09/30/2026

Today is the first day of the annual SADO/MAACS Appellate Writing Workshop! Lawyers from around the state have come to the SADO office in Detroit, and we're working together to become better writers.... which helps our cases and our clients!

09/29/2026

This team is AMAZING! Congratulations to SADO's Project Reentry for being awarded the Liberty Bell Award from the Ingham County Bar Association! Marcus Williams, Anna Kohn, Lorenzo Harrell, and Alexis Smith... we are thrilled for you!

Congratulations to our incredible 2026 Liberty Bell Award recipient, Project Reentry from The State Appellate Defenders Office! Your hard work, dedication, and impact continue to inspire us all. Join us in celebrating their achievements at our Annual Dinner on November 17, 2026, at the Crowne Plaza (925 S Creyts Rd, Lansing, MI). It promises to be an unforgettable evening of recognition, networking, and celebration!

Register Now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/132nd-annual-dinner-tickets-1986361620077?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

09/28/2026

The Michigan Appellate Assigned Counsel System, the Private Counsel Division of SADO, is hiring a full-time, limited-term Mitigation Specialist. Applications are due by October 11, 2026. Check out the posting for more!

09/24/2026

Congratulations to SADO Assistant Defender Johanna Doherty, who was recently sworn into the Michigan Bar by Court of Appeals Judge Adrienne Young!