Nov 05 2021
Hope & Redemption: Fighting for Equity in America’s Legal System

Hope & Redemption: Fighting for Equity in America’s Legal System

Presented by The City Club of Cleveland at The City Club of Cleveland

At 17 years old, Jarrett Adams was wrongfully convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to 18 years in a maximum security prison. He served 10 years before being exonerated with the help of the Wisconsin Innocence Project. Adams would then go on to become a lawyer himself, with the goal of helping those who, like himself, had faced discrimination in the legal system.

In August 2016, Jarrett Adams joined the City Club to share this story. In his new book, Redeeming Justice: From defendant to defender, my fight for equity on both sides of a broken system, Adams outlines the racist tactics used to convict young men of color, the unique challenges facing exonerees once released, and how the lack of equal representation in our courts is a failure not only of empathy but of our collective ability to uncover the truth.

What are the limits, and possibilities, of our country’s system of law? And what can we learn from Jarrett Adams’ story to work toward a justice system is truly just for all?

Jarrett Adams earned his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in May 2015 and started a public-interest law fellowship with Ann Claire Williams, judge for the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, the same court that reversed his conviction. Jarrett also clerked in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York with the late Honorable Deborah Batts. After working for the Innocence Project in New York, he launched the Law Office of Jarrett Adams, PLLC, in 2017, and now practices in both federal and state courts throughout the country.

After the forum, a book signing with Jarrett Adams will be available. A Cultural Exchange, a nonprofit multicultural arts and literacy project, will be on site for book sales.

The livestream will be available beginning at 12:30p.m. Have questions? Tweet them at @TheCityClub or send a text to 330.541.5794.

Effective October 1, the City Club will be requiring ticketholders to provide proof of Covid vaccination or a recent negative Covid test. Email info@cityclub.org with any questions.

Production and distribution of City Club forums in partnership with Ideastream Public Media is generously provided by PNC and the United Black Fund.

Admission Info

City Club members $25 / nonmembers $38

Phone: 2166210082

Email: info@cityclub.org

Dates & Times

2021/11/05 - 2021/11/05

Location Info

The City Club of Cleveland

1317 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115

Parking Info

Our new address is 1317 Euclid Ave., Suite 100. We are located on the north side of Euclid Ave., between E. 13th and E 14th Streets, which means the RTA’s free E-Line and C-line trolleys, and the Healthline all stop in front of our building.

If you are driving, park in the Playhouse Square Parking Garage, located at 1450 Chester Ave. You can view a map of the garage here. If you are at the City Club between 10:30 am and 3 pm, bring your ticket with you into the City Club and we will provide validation to reduce your cost to $3.00. Special rates do apply outside those hours.

After parking in the garage, you can walk to the City Club’s entrance on Euclid Ave. via the covered walkway. The walkway is accessible from the 2nd floor of the garage – keep walking through it until you reach Euclid Avenue, then turn right and our entrance is located just beneath the blue gong logo!

Valet parking is available at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, located at 1260 Euclid Ave. Mention the City Club when you pull up to valet, and your rate will be reduced to $20.

Additional, non-discounted downtown parking can be found at the Lumen Garage (1600 Euclid Ave., enter E. 17th St.), Hanna Garage (1509 Prospect Ave.), or U.S. Bank Garage (2060 E 14th St.). More Playhouse Square District parking information can also be found here.