NEWS | Amicus ALJ

Founded in 1992 in memory of Andrew Lee Jones, Amicus was built to fight for those facing a death sentence in the US who are often, as a consequence of history, economy, and race, the most vulnerable in society.

Andrew, despite lack of clear evidence, was charged with murder and later executed in Louisiana in 1991. Tried in front of an all-white jury, represented by an inexperienced lawyer with details of his mental illness withheld by the prosecution, his case did not stand a chance. Andrew is only one of the many innocent people who received the death penalty as a result of lacking proper legal representation.

Amicus believes in due process and the right to a fair trial and works to provide assistance in a number of ways to ensure access to the kind of legal representation that could have saved Andrew's life. The casework programme, assisted by pro bono volunteers from affiliate international law firms, plays a crucial role in the detailed investigation of currently active capital cases in the US. Amicus also publishes the leading Capital Punishment Journal, runs a volunteer placement programme in the UK and the US and a bi-annual training program for lawyers and students working on death row cases. The Spring Training 2025 will be held both in person and online on the weekends of 7th-9th March and 22nd-23rd March. Tickets can be booked here.

Amicus is the trading name of the Andrew Lee Jones Fund Ltd. Charity number: 1019651. Registered number: 2797826.