Christopher Hawthorne

Loyola Law School Juvenile Innocence & Fair Sentencing Clinic

Christopher Hawthorne is the Director of the Juvenile Innocence & Fair Sentencing (JIFS) Clinic at Loyola Law School, the first law school clinic in the country dedicated solely to juvenile post-conviction sentencing and litigation.  Together with PJDC board member Maureen Pacheco, Hawthorne started the JIFS Clinic in 2012, shortly before the Supreme Court’s decision in Miller v. Alabama.  Students in the JIFS Clinic have successfully litigated matters for over 100 clients, including Miller and Franklin hearings, 1170(d)(2) and 1170.95 hearings, wrongful convictions, appeals and parole hearings.  Mr. Hawthorne graduated from Loyola Law School and was an associate in the white collar department at O’Melveny & Myers, until he decided he needed a better class of client.  Now he exclusively represents clients in state prison, on appeal or post-conviction, and has done so for nearly two decades.  He has taught at Loyola Law School since 2004.  Before graduating from law school, he was a television executive and screenwriter for 20 years.