Andrea Lyon wanted to save lives when she established the Center for Justice in Capital Cases (CJCC) at DePaul University five years ago. By vigorously advocating against the death penalty and representing clients accused of capital crimes, Lyon’s efforts helped to shape the decision to commute death sentences in Illinois, which has prevented lives from being extinguished. The work of Lyon and the CJCC will be recognized at an anniversary celebration which is set for 6 p.m. May 31 at the University Club of Chicago, 76 E. Monroe St.

Sister Helen Prejean, one of the nation’s staunchest opponents of the death penalty, will provide the evening’s keynote address, which is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Prejean, a Roman Catholic nun of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaville order, began her prison ministry in 1981 when she dedicated her life to the poor of New Orleans. Her compassion for those sentenced to death compelled her to write a Pulitzer Prize-nominated book. It later was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film, “Dead Men Walking,” which starred Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon. The film chronicled Prejean’s experience counseling a death row inmate and later accompanying him to the death chamber.

After witnessing five executions, Prejean continues her advocacy today by educating the public about the death penalty through lectures, writings and grassroots organizing. She is the founder of “Survive,” a victim’s advocacy group in New Orleans. She also continues to counsel inmates on death row as well as the families of murder victims.

Established in 2000 by DePaul’s College of Law, the center aims to create a high standard of practice in the capital defense arena. It strives to safeguard the rights of indigent capital defendants and to prepare qualified advocates for capital case work. It also works to reform the administration of criminal justice one life at a time.

The CJCC has been home to some of the most advanced training programs in the country for capital defense attorneys and their legal teams, including the Clarence Darrow Death Penalty Defense College, the Mitigation College and the Defense Investigator Certificate Program. The center also gives law students the opportunity to work on actual capital cases.

During the past five years, the center has provided defense counsel to an estimated 12 clients charged with capital crimes. In 2003, the center’s work to abolish the death penalty, and its representation of those who could be sentenced to die, led to the College of Law being chosen as the site for former Gov. George Ryan to announce that he would grant clemency to four inmates on Illinois’ Death Row. Ryan would later declare a death penalty moratorium.

“It is my hope that one day the death penalty will be abolished in America,” said Lyon. “Until that happens, defendants facing the death penalty should have the most competent and dedicated legal representation possible. While our anniversary celebration will bring attention to this need, we hope that it will also allow us to raise dollars that are critical to continuing the center’s work.”

Tickets for the event are $150 each, $100 for those working in the public interest. For more information call the CJCC at 312/362-5837.

Note to Editors—Reporters wishing to cover the event should call Valerie Phillips, DePaul media relations, at 312/362-5039.