Deirdre M. Enright

  • Professor of Law, General Faculty
  • Director, Center for Criminal Justice
  • Director, Project for Informed Reform

Deirdre Enright is director of the Law School’s Project for Informed Reform and Center for Criminal Justice. She previously was the founding director of the Innocence Project at UVA Law. Before joining the Law School, Enright worked at the Virginia Capital Representation Resource Center, where she represented clients and consulted on cases in all stages of capital litigation, with primary focus on federal and state post-conviction proceedings and Supreme Court certiorari review. After graduating from the University of Virginia Law School in 1992, Enright worked as a staff attorney at the Mississippi Capital Defense Resource Center.

Education

  • J.D.
    University of Virginia School of Law
    1992
  • B.A.
    Northwestern University
    1982

Op-Eds, Blogs, Shorter Works

DNA, Not Posters, Might Solve a Cold Case, Washington Post C4 (June 27, 2021).
Virginia Must Bolster Access to Police Investigations (with Jennifer L. Givens), Norfolk Virginian-Pilot 23A (February 28, 2021).
Virginia Needs Real Justice for the Wrongly Convicted (with Shawn Armbrust & Jennifer L. Givens), Richmond Times-Dispatch (February 23, 2020).
"Miracle" Conviction or One More Mistake? (with Matthew L. Engle), Washington Post (November 27, 2010).

IN THE NEWS

04/03/2023
The Visiting Room Project Lets People See and Hear From Prisoners Doing Life Without Parole (WVTF Radio)
10/31/2022
How Guilty Pleas Fastrack and Derail Justice (70 Million)
10/13/2022
Opinion | Adnan Syed’s Case Gives Maryland a Black Eye and a Teachable Moment (The Washington Post)
09/20/2022
Adnan Syed Conviction Lifted by Judge in 1999 Murder of Hae Min Lee (The Bharat Express News)
08/07/2022
Could a Notorious Serial Killer Have Murdered Sarah Cherry? (Portland Press Herald)
04/14/2022
UVA’s Center for Criminal Justice (UVA Lifetime Learning)
04/12/2022
Innocence Project Celebrates Past Success, Worries About Future Prospects (WVTF Radio)
01/12/2022
Messiah Johnson Spent 20 Years in Prison for a Robbery He Didn’t commit; He Hopes Northam Will Grant Absolute Pardon (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
01/10/2022
Another Man Confessed But Northam Won’t Exonerate Messiah Johnson (WVTF Radio)
10/15/2021
Witnessing an Execution (With Good Reason)
09/20/2021
Innocence Project Says Answers to Cold Case Shenandoah Murders May Sit Buried in FBI Evidence Locker (WUSA9)
08/19/2021
UVA To Offer Evidence-based Guidance For Criminal Justice Reform (WVTF Radio)
08/17/2021
Innocence Project Client Gets Absolute Pardon-Deirdre Enright (WINA Radio)
07/08/2021
UVA School of Law Launches New Criminal Justice Reform Project (NBC 29)
06/25/2021
Opinion: Virginia Should Use DNA, Not Posters, To Solve a Cold-Case Murder (The Washington Post)
02/27/2021
Opinion: Virginia Must Bolster Access to Police Investigations (The Virginian-Pilot)
02/19/2021
Innocence Project: Investigating Wrongful Convictions (UVA Lifetime Learning)
11/24/2020
Virginia Falls Short in Compensating the Wrongfully Imprisoned, Study Finds (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
06/30/2020
Imprisoned for 24 Years: Innocence Project Says Richmond Man Should Be Freed (WVTF Radio)
04/27/2020
4th Circuit Invites Governor To Act in Innocence Claim (Virginia Lawyers Weekly)
04/13/2020
Groundbreaking New Law in Virginia Removes Barrier to Proving Innocence (Innocence Project)
02/22/2020
Shawn Armbrust, Deirdre Enright and Jennifer Givens Column: Virginia Needs Real Justice for the Wrongly Convicted (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
06/27/2019
A Murder on the Rappahannock River (Washingtonian)
11/05/2018
Local Car Dealer Helps Pardoned Inmate Achieve Independence (The Winchester Star)
09/28/2018
Man Walks Out of Jail, Plans To Continue Fighting To Clear His Name From 1991 Virginia Beach Rape Conviction (WTKR-TV)
09/27/2018
Man Wrongfully Convicted of 1990 Rape Released From Prison (CBS19)
08/04/2018
Woman Claims Innocence in "Shaken Baby Syndrome" Case Set To Be Paroled Then Deported (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
08/04/2018
Apropos Of Something: Flattery Gets You Everywhere & Righting Post-Conviction Wrongs (WPVC Radio)
08/02/2018
Rojai Fentress Says He Didn't Kill Anybody. The Innocence Project Believes Him. Will a Judge? (The News Leader)
07/24/2018
A Daycare Provider, Shaken Baby Science And Hope For A Pardon (WVTF Radio)
05/30/2018
Innocence Project at UVA Law Wins Exoneration for Convicted Man | Deirdre Enright (WINA Radio)
04/10/2018
Virginia Court of Appeals Arguments in Bank Robbery, Innocence Case (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
12/15/2017
2017 Seton Lecture: Ms. Deirdre Enright of UVA's Innocence Project Clinic (Portsmouth Abbey School)
07/15/2017
Wrongful Convictions; Making Whiteness (WPVC)
04/25/2017
More Than 1,000 People In State Prisons May Be Innocent (WVTF)
04/17/2017
UVA Group is Working Towards Ending Wrongful Convictions in Virginia (WVTF)
01/25/2017
Innocence Project Casts Doubt on Stevens' 1986 Murder Conviction (Rappahannock Record)
12/14/2016
Innocence Project Questions Fentress Murder Conviction (Staunton News Leader)
11/12/2016
Needle-In-A-Haystack Hunt for Evidence in Old Virginia Murder Case Required Endurance, Luck (The Daily Progress)
06/07/2016
Law Stars (Law Stars)
04/25/2016
Lawyers Challenge Evidence of Shaken Baby Syndrome (WVTF)
04/25/2016
McAuliffe Order to Enfranchise Felons Applies to Sentences Completed on, Before April 22 (The Cavalier Daily)
03/09/2016
Serial's Secret Sauce? Indulging in Ambiguity (SF Weekly)
03/06/2016
UVA Law Program Uncovers Evidence in 1990 Rape Case (The Daily Progress)
02/22/2016
Virginia Beach Judge Allows Re-Testing of Evidence in Brutal 1990 Rape of Girl (Virginian-Pilot)
01/10/2016
Can True Crime Stories Interfere With Old Cases? (Rhode Island Public Radio)
01/06/2016
'Making a Muderer' in the Age of Social Media (Complex)
12/05/2015
Straight Talk: Deirdre Enright (Charlottesville Podcasting Network)
07/16/2015
When Prosecutors Believe the Unbelievable (Slate)
07/04/2015
The Innocence Project (With Good Reason)
02/13/2015
Breaking Down The Serial Podcast: Attorneys Dissect Adnan Syed's Case (Legal Talk Network)
02/09/2015
DNA Could Offer Another Avenue for Serial's Syed (WVTF)
01/14/2015
Serial Update: Maryland Appeals Court to Rule on Adnan Syed's Case (Time)
01/05/2015
Serial's Deirdre Enright (Inside Charlottesville)
12/29/2014
'Serial' Case Goes on For U.Va. Law's Innocence Project (UVA Today)
12/24/2014
Investigators Know A Lot More About The 'Serial' Murder Case Than We Heard On The Podcast (Business Insider)
12/22/2014
Law Students Identified Another Possible Suspect In The 'Serial' Murder Case (Business Insider)
12/19/2014
The Innocence Project Tells Serial Fans What Might Happen Next (TIME)
12/16/2014
'UVa Law Clinic an Integral Part of Podcast Sensation 'Serial' (The Daily Progress)
12/08/2014
Season One: Episode 12: Finale: What We Know (Serial)
11/13/2014
Why Is Justin Wolfe Still in Prison? (Slate)
11/06/2014
Serial Takes a Step Back and Gets Some Experts Involved (Slate)
11/06/2014
Episode 7: The Opposite of the Prosecution (Serial)
09/30/2014
A Closer Look at the DNA Link Between the Graham & Harrington Cases (WVTF)
03/24/2014
The Innocence Project (WVTF)
02/17/2014
Man cleared of rape charges speaks out (The Daily Progress)
02/17/2014
Edgar Coker is adjusting to exoneration (The Free-Lance Star)
02/12/2014
Louisa man falsely convicted of rape is exonerated with UVa legal team's help (The Daily Progress)
02/12/2014
Edgar Coker's name to be taken off Va. sex offender list years after false accusation (The Washington Post)
02/12/2014
Judge vacates Mineral man's conviction in 2007 rape case (Richmond Times Dispatch)
02/11/2014
Louisa man falsely convicted of rape is exonerated with UVa team's help
02/25/2013
Stafford Teen Will Get a Chance to Clear Name (The Free-Lance Star)
05/25/2012
Virginia Man Exonerated of 1978 Rape (Staunton News-Leader)
05/24/2012
Va. Supreme Court Clears Charles City Co. Man in 1978 Rape (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
05/24/2012
Charles City Man Cleared in '78 Rape of W&M Student (The Virginian-Pilot)
05/01/2012
Va. AG Backs Writ of Actual Innocence for James City County Man (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
04/14/2012
UVa's Innocence Project Having a Busy -- and Possibly Banner -- Year (The Daily Progress)
03/18/2012
Culpeper Sheriff Defends Conduct in Hash Case (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
03/13/2012
Hash Could Taste Freedom Wednesday (The Free-Lance Star)

AT UVA LAW

‘Serial’ Subject Adnan Syed, Who Was Aided by Innocence Project at UVA Law, Released From Prison
Innocence Clinic Leaders Win UVA’s Collaborative Excellence in Public Service Award
Speaking of Injustice: A Night With Virginia’s Wrongfully Convicted
Last Member of ‘Culpeper Three’ Exonerated
Innocence Project Client Emerson Stevens Shares His Story
Third Innocence Project Client Receives Absolute Pardon
UVA Law Launches New Project on Criminal Justice Reform
The Tipping Point for Criminal Justice Reform
Innocence Project Client Freed on Conditional Pardon
‘Common Law’ Episode 1: The Innocence Update
Innocence Project at UVA Law Celebrates 10 Years
Dean, Vice Dean Team Up To Host ‘Common Law’ Podcast
The Future of Law
Innocence Project Group Holds Fundraiser to Help Wrongfully Convicted
Client Paroled for Crime That UVA Law Clinic Says He Never Committed
Six UVA Law Faculty Members Promoted
Innocence Project at UVA Law Wins Exoneration for Man Convicted of Two Bank Robberies
Freed UVA Innocence Project Client Messiah Johnson Heads Home
Innocence Clinic Wins Release of Man Convicted of Armed Robbery
UVA Law Innocence Project Client Released After 30 Years
Innocence Project Directors Explain Reasons for Wrongful Convictions
Pro Bono Clinic Fundraiser to Feature Panel of 5 Falsely Convicted
New Evidence Bolsters 2 Habeas Petitions Filed by Innocence Project at UVA Law
New Evidence Bolsters 2 Habeas Petitions Filed by Innocence Project at UVA Law
UVA Law's Top Stories of 2016
UVA Law's Innocence Project Finds DNA That May Exonerate Man
UVA Law's Criminal Law Faculty Help Shape National Conversation on Justice
The Innocence Project at the University of Virginia School of Law
Judge Agrees to Test DNA Evidence UVA Law Innocence Project Discovered
Deirdre Enright Discusses UVA Law Innocence Project
"Serial" and UVA Law's Innocence Project
Law School Launches Innocence Clinic
Speaking of Injustice: A Night With Virginia’s Wrongfully Convicted

Featured Scholarship