Jason Flom Establishes Senior Litigation Position at the Innocence Project in Honor of His Father Joseph Flom

05.05.11

(New York, NY; Wednesday, May 5, 2011) – Innocence Project Board of Directors member and President of LAVA Records, Jason Flom, has donated $1 million to the Innocence Project to support a new position in honor of his late father Joseph Flom.  The new position, to be named The Joseph Flom Special Counsel, will significantly increase the capacity of the Innocence Project to address the causes of wrongful conviction.  Flom announced the new position at the Innocence Project’s annual gala at the Waldorf Astoria last evening. 

The Joseph Flom Special Counsel will bring impact litigation to set wide-ranging precedents that advance criminal justice reforms.  It will also support the work of lawyers across the country that work to free the innocent with evidence other than DNA.  This donation will support the Special Counsel position for five years.

“For nearly a decade, the Flom family’s generosity has been vital to the progress the Innocence Project has made in our efforts to free the innocent and bring essential reforms to the criminal justice system,” said Innocence Project Co-founder Barry Scheck, which is affiliated with Cardozo School of Law.  “In addition to the support, we have been privileged by our association with a family whose name represents the greatest achievements in law and the noblest ideals of the legal profession.”

 

Joseph Flom, who passed away in February, was a pioneering corporate lawyer and remembered as an innovator and groundbreaker who overcame barriers in his work.  At Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, he pioneered strategies that have come to define modern legal practice, and mentored a generation of attorneys.  As a philanthropist, his keen understanding of a rapidly changing world led him to support innovative programs in the fields of education, public health, and legal practice in the public interest.

“Jason’s contribution will have an impact in law that would be an appropriate tribute to the groundbreaking legal work of his father Joseph Flom and the enormous impact his life has had in advancing justice in the United States,” said Innocence Project Co-founder Peter Neufeld.

Contact:  Alana Salzberg; 212-364-5983; asalzberg@innocenceproject.org

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The Innocence Project, which is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, is a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. To date, 269 people nationwide have been exonerated through DNA testing and dozens of states have implemented critical reforms to prevent wrongful convictions.

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