Calvin Duncan J.D.

Calvin Duncan grew up in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans. He is the director of The Light of Justice Program, whose mission is to assist incarcerated individuals in gaining access to the courts. In this role, Calvin provides legal support in capital and non-capital cases, helping people understand the criminal legal system so they can make informed decisions to avoid the death penalty and, in some cases, life imprisonment.

On January 7, 2011, the Innocence Project of New Orleans secured Calvin’s release after he had served 28½ years for a crime he did not commit. While incarcerated, Calvin worked as a legal counsel substitute for 23 years; for 19 of those years he assisted individuals on Louisiana’s Death Row. He also taught law classes to incarcerated people for 15 years.

After his release, Calvin enrolled in the Tulane University School of Continuing Studies, pursuing a degree in paralegal studies. In 2013, the Open Society Foundation awarded him the Soros Justice Fellowship to support his work helping incarcerated individuals overcome procedural barriers to court access. During this fellowship, he also contributed to efforts to change Louisiana’s non-unanimous jury verdict law.

Calvin is a co-founder of The First 72+, which provides transitional housing for people recently released from prison, and Rising Foundations, an organization dedicated to ending cycles of incarceration. In 2015, he received the Echoing Green Black Male Achievement Fellowship. In June 2017, he earned his Associate of Arts degree and Paralegal Certificate from Tulane University. That same year he also received the Pony Award from the Street Lawyers. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in Paralegal Studies at Tulane in August 2018 and received his J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School in May 2023.

Calvin’s memoir, The Jailhouse Lawyer, was published by Penguin Random House in July 2025. If you would like to support Calvin's work, please consider making a donation to The Light of Justice Program- your contribution directly expands access to legal assistance for incarcerated people.