The University of Michigan Law School has created a new website for criminal defense counsel. Data for Defenders has several resources to assist the criminal defense community.

First, the website includes a database of briefs, motions, and transcripts on topics we often encounter in the criminal law. The database is easy to search, and the sources are free to download. The types of sources you can access: a motion to bar testimony in a shaken baby case, an amicus brief on DNA probabilistic genotyping, an expert report on recent social science outlining the problems with eyewitness identifications, etc. The website also provides a way for practitioners to submit a document, so this database will continue to grow.

Second, the website contains resources and links that assist the practitioner in incorporating social science research into the practice of criminal defense. The site even provides resources to teach you HOW to incorporate social science into individual cases, including a handy checklist.

The website can be found here.