John M. Collins, Esq.
John M. Collins, Esq. is a proud Baton Rouge native who has embarked on a diverse journey that has taken him from the classroom to the courtroom. A May 2015 graduate of SULC, he taught at schools in underserved communities for a decade before, during, and after law school. However, a transformative career pivot in January 2021 revealed to him the importance of post-conviction work when he joined the Innocence Project New Orleans (IPNO). As IPNO’s Unjust Punishment Project (UPP) law fellow.
In his role as IPNO’s UPP law fellow, John’s efforts led to the early release of thirteen people who had been excessively sentenced for relatively minor convictions and one person who had been wrongfully incarcerated for murder. In total, his work helped secure freedom for clients that had served over 217 years in Louisiana’s prisons.
Currently, he continues to champion civil rights and justice as the Project Manager at the Louis A. Berry Institute for Civil Rights & Justice at SULC.