advocacy
Fighting wrongful convictions.
Centering those most targeted.
Select Cases & Clients
Active
Tasha Shelby — Mississippi
Wrongfully convicted and currently serving life. Valena is her direct counsel, fighting for her freedom.
Exonerated 2026
John Earl Turner — Indiana
Exonerated January 2026 through collaboration with the Indiana Innocence Project. New evidence overturned his conviction.
On appeal
Brenda Andrew — Oklahoma
On Oklahoma’s death row. Valena has filed amicus briefs at the 10th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court challenging gender bias in her prosecution.
On appeal
Roseberline Turenne — Maryland
Day care worker sentenced to 126 years. Valena filed a proposed amicus brief before the Maryland Supreme Court in 2024.
Organizations
Indiana Innocence Project
Co-founded by Valena, who represents IU Maurer School of Law. Connecting students and faculty with wrongfully convicted Hoosiers.
West Virginia Innocence Project
Founded by Valena at WVU College of Law. Secured presidential clemency for clients under President Obama in 2016 to exonerate wrongly convicted West Virginians.
University of Chicago Law
Alumni feature on Valena’s innocence work and the network that supports it.