Jon Frank ’15 returned this past spring from a prior term in the Criminal Defense Clinic to draft a Ninth Circuit brief on behalf of a client previously sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison for a non-violent unarmed robbery of less than $2,000.

At the time of his arraignment, the client sought to represent himself pro se.  Without informing him that he could be designated a “career offender,” the court allowed him to proceed without the appointment of full counsel. After reviewing the entire record and meeting with the client, Jon prepared to file a brief in the Ninth Circuit arguing that the client did not knowingly and voluntarily waive his Sixth Amendment right to counsel.