Sean O’Brien, Founder & President
Prof. O’Brien’s Supreme Court victory in Schlup v. Delo sets the standard for proving innocence in federal habeas corpus cases. He has testified as an expert on performance of counsel issues in cases across the country, and he represents clients through his Master Class in Postconviction Advocacy at UMKC Law School.
Brian Russell, Vice President
Brian served four years in the Army, and was deployed as Lieutenant and Rifle Platoon Leader in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Upon graduating from UMKC Law School, he co-founded the plaintiff’s firm of Meyerkord, Russell & Hergott, which represents wrongly convicted clients Byron Case and Jeffrey Weinhaus.
Nicole Gordon, Executive Director
Nicole earned her J.D. from UMKC Law School, where she won the Bruce Houdek Award for her dedication to pro bono work. She has a BA in Communications from Rockhurst University, where she was the Jesuit Founder Scholarship Recipient. She has served as a court-appointed special advocate for children, and is counsel of record on several IAS cases.
Quinn C. O’Brien, Lead Investigator
Quinn is an investigative journalist and former senior investigator for the Washington, DC Public Defender Service. Her work has exonerated Dale Helmig, Sandra Hemme, Ricky Kidd, and won the release of countless others. She is an Adjunct Instructor at UMKC Law School, where she co-teaches classes on the Fundamentals of Investigation and a Master Class in Postconviction Advocacy. She has published articles on investigation standards in The Champion and the Hofstra Law Review.
Tom Green, Treasurer
Business Operations Manager at UMKC School of Law for twenty-six years, Tom is a wizard with strategic finance and cost savings initiatives. He earned his MBA at the Henry Bloch School of Business in 1997 and BA in business administration at the University of Kansas in 1983.
Ashley Cerrentano, Secretary
Ashley will graduate magna cum laude in May, 2025, from UMKC Law School, where she serves on the Law Review Staff. She has interned with Prof. O’Brien for two years on IAS cases and serves as his Research and Teaching Assistant. She is on the faculty in the Metropolitan Community College, where she teaches English. She volunteers for The HALO Foundation, where she tutors homeless children.
