LATHRUP VILLAGE, Mich. – Cooley Law School Innocence Project Co-Director Ann Garant has been inducted into Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2025 Class of Influential Women of Law. The recognition ceremony was held on Sept. 26, at The Mint at Michigan First Conference Center in Lathrup Village.
Each year, the Influential Women of Law program honors women attorneys and judges for their excellent work on behalf of the justice system and for their clients, their commitment to their communities, and their service to the profession.
As co-director of the Cooley Innocence Project, Garant oversees office operations, supervising staff attorneys, students and support staff. Since 2020, she has secured over $1.8 million in funding that supports the review and testing of post-conviction cases involving DNA or other forensic issues. Additionally, Garant developed a community outreach and education program where CIP team members and exonerees travel across the state to spread awareness and educate underserved communities about wrongful convictions and the criminal legal system.
“I am honored to be recognized as one of the 2025 Influential Women of Law,” said Garant, who also teaches the Wrongful Conviction course at Cooley. “This recognition is a reflection of the mentors, colleagues, and clients who have inspired me throughout my career. I am grateful for the opportunity to do this work and to stand alongside so many extraordinary women making a difference.”
Established in 2001, the Cooley Law School Innocence Project is the only post-conviction DNA innocence organization in the state. Since its inception, the office has screened over 6,000 cases and is responsible for the exoneration of nine individuals: Kenneth Wyniemko (2003), Nathaniel Hatchett (2008), Donya Davis (2014), LeDura Watkins (2017), Corey McCall (2021), Kenneth Nixon (2021), Gilbert Poole (2021), George DeJesus (2022), and Louis Wright (2023). It also helped to exonerate Lacino Hamilton and Ramon Ward, both in 2020, Terance Calhoun in 2022, and Crystal Mulherin and Duane Williams, both in 2024.
