Jensie L. Anderson
Clinical Professor of Law
Professor Anderson received a B.F.A. from the University of Utah in 1985, and a J.D. from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law in 1993. Before joining the College of Law in 1999, Professor Anderson worked as a litigation associate with Holme, Roberts & Owen (1993-1994), served as staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah (1994-1997), and specialized in the areas of social security law and indigent criminal defense with Cannon, Cleary & Match (1997-1999). Professor Anderson has served as president of the Rocky Mountain Innocence Center since January 2001, and she litigates innocence and wrongful conviction claims throughout Utah. She also serves as director of the Innocence Clinic and administrative supervisor of the Criminal Clinic (both prosecutor and defender) at the College of Law.
Professor Anderson teaches legal methods, innocence investigation and post-conviction process, criminal process, lawyering skills, and introduction to law.
Selected Talks and Presentations
Handling Non-DNA Cases, National Innocence Network Conference, Roundtable Session, Atlanta, GA, Spring 2010
Persuading Judges and Jurors to Question the Reliability of Eyewitness Identification, Utah Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Annual Conference, Park City, UT, Fall 2009
Disturbing the Universe: William Kunstler, Salt Lake City Film Center and the American Civil Liberties Union Film Series, Salt Lake City, UT, Fall 2009
The Innocence Project: Race, Class, and the Justice System, Westminster College Bastian Foundation Diversity Lecture Series, Salt Lake City, UT, Winter 2009
Criminal Procedure I and II, Legal Institute for Justice Court Judges, Salt Lake City, UT, Fall 2006 and Winter 2009
Innocence Investigation and Post-Conviction Process, University of Nevada-Las Vegas Innocence Clinic Orientation, Las Vegas, NV, Fall 2008
The Exoneration and Assistance Bill in Utah, Beyond Biology: Wrongful Convictions in the Post-DNA World, Utah Law Review Symposium, Salt Lake City, UT, Fall 2007
Improving the Reliability of Eyewitness Testimony with Kirk Bloodsworth, Jennifer Thompson Cannino & Dr. Stephen Clark, Utah Judicial Conference, Heber City, UT, Fall 2007
Investigating Wrongful Convictions: A Practical Approach, Private Investigators Association of Utah Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, UT, Fall 2007
Actual Innocence and Wrongful Convictions: An Introduction
Salt Lake Legal Defenders CLE Series, Salt Lake City, UT, Fall 2007
Utah Appellate Courts Conference, Torrey, UT, Spring 2007
Professional Service
University of Utah
Public Interest Law Organization, Faculty Advisor, 2000-present
Fordham Loan Forgiveness Program Committee, 2001-present
Spurgeon Public Interest Fellowship Committee, 2001-present
Lionel Frankel Public Interest Summer Fellowship Program Committee, 2003-present
Utah Law Student Innocence Association, Faculty Advisor, 2007-08
Community
Utah Legal Services, (Viaduct Outreach/Street Law), Volunteer Supervising Attorney, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1993 - present
Rocky Mountain Innocence Center, Board of Directors, 1999 - present (President, 2001-present; Vice-President, 1999-2001)
Utah Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Criminal Jury Instructions, Member, 2006 - present
The Eyewitness Identification Reform Litigation Network, Point Representative, 2006-present
National Innocence Network, Exoneree Support Committee, Member, 2007 - present (Chair 2007-2009)
Innocence, Exoneration and Assistance Legislative Committee, Member, 2007-present
American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, Legal Panel, 2008-present
Honors & Awards
Peter W. Billings Excellence in Teaching Award, 2008
Utah State Bar Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year, 2006
Utah State Bar Young Lawyer of the Year, 1997
Special Projects
Significant Litigation
Miller v. State, Utah Court of Appeals, Case No. 20080921, (Filed July 13, 2009, Decided November 19, 2009), Third Judicial District, State of Utah, Case No. 080907781 (Appearance filed March 22, 2010) Co-counsel on Brief of Amicus Curiae and Lead Post-Conviction Counsel; Court reversed trial court and ordered hearing for innocence determination in ten-year-old aggravated robbery conviction in first appellate interpretation of the Determination of Factual Innocence Statute (pending).
Gordon v. State, Third Judicial District, State of Utah, Case No. 090917952 (Filed October 29, 2009). Co-Counsel on Petition for Relief under the Post-Conviction Remedies Act requesting that Court set aside ten-year-old murder conviction on due process grounds (pending).
Brown v. State, First Judicial District, State of Utah, Case No. 090100583 (Filed March 5, 2009). Co-Counsel on Petition for Post-Conviction Determination of Factual Innocence and Petition for Relief under the Post-Conviction Remedies Act requesting that Court set aside seventeen-year-old murder conviction on the grounds of Non-DNA factual innocence and due process violations (pending).
Goodman v. State, Fifth Judicial District, State of Utah, Case No. 040500085 (Conviction Vacated November 3, 2004). Lead counsel on Petition for Post-conviction DNA Testing and Petition for Relief under the Post-conviction Remedies Act vacating conviction in an eighteen-year-old murder case on the grounds of newly discovered physical evidence.
Professional Affiliations
Utah State Bar Association, Member, 1993-present
Actor's Equity Association, Member, 1987-present