Jeffrey S. Gutman

Jeff Gutman headshot

Jeffrey S. Gutman

Professor of Clinical Law; Director, Public Justice Advocacy Clinic


Contact:

Office Phone: (202) 994-5797
Fax: (202) 994-4946
2000 H Street, NW Washington DC 20052

Prior to coming to the law school in 1994, Professor Jeffrey S. Gutman served as a trial attorney in the Federal Programs Branch, Civil Division, Department of Justice (DOJ). His work at the DOJ principally involved representing the federal government in constitutional and administrative challenges to federal statutes and regulations in federal courts throughout the country.

Professor Gutman directs the Public Justice Advocacy Clinic and, for over twenty years, taught Civil Procedure. The Clinic has engaged in impact civil rights litigation, public benefits advocacy, representation of low wage workers in employment law matters and now represents individuals and non-profits in federal and local Freedom of Information Act litigation. He served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 2000 to 2008. 

Professor Gutman was the editor in chief of the Federal Practice Manual for Legal Aid Attorneys, served on the Board of Governors of the District of Columbia Bar and mediates civil cases in the DC Court of Appeals and the DC Superior Court Multi-Door Dispute Resolution program. After representing four men exonerated of crimes by DNA evidence who spent decades in jail on civil claims against the District of Columbia government, he turned his scholarship to the area of wrongful conviction compensation. Professor Gutman is a special contributor to the National Registry of Exonerations and serves on the Board of the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project. 

In the News

"Exonerations in the U.S. are slowly rising. 3 people were cleared in Kansas and Missouri last year"

KCUR-FM, Kansas City, quoted Jeffrey Gutman describing the increase in rates of exonerations in the coming years.

"His conviction was overturned after 35 years wrongfully served. State law caps his compensation at 14 years"

Capitol News Illinois quoted Jeffrey Gutman about the unfairness in Illinois jail system.

"Alan Beaman's civil case against Town of Normal and former officers is set for trial"

WGLT-FM, Normal, Ill., quoted Jeffrey Gutman on the history of compensation projects for wrongfully convicted persons.