Second Chances: Rewriting Life Through Clemency

Today, Venetia Mayhew is one of Oregon’s most well-known clemency and post-conviction lawyers, but her path to the law was anything but typical. She started college at 39 and law school at 43. Her prior experience? Working in film, catering, and truck driving. In this episode, she explains how her unconventional path shaped her work as a criminal defense attorney. She reflects on years spent leading clemency efforts at a law clinic and what it’s meant to her to help clients receive a second chance. Now in private practice, she works on complex criminal cases after her clients are already incarcerated. As she puts it, it’s a field where “you get a lot of losses, but the wins are just very, very sweet.” Venetia is a graduate of Lewis and Clarke Law School. This episode is hosted by Katya Valasek. Mentioned in this episode: Access LawHub today! Learn more about Blueprint Learn more about Haynes Boone LLP Learn more about Oklahoma City University School of Law Learn more about Boston University School of Law Learn more about Seton Hall Learn more about Juno and private student loans