Alumna Helps Free Innocent Man From Prison
Kimberly Corral, JD ’12, was a new attorney, working as a solo practitioner on criminal justice cases. Then a phone call began a five-year legal process culminating in the exoneration of a man who had spent 15 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.
The man, Ru-El Sailor, reached out to Corral 10 years into his sentence for a 2003 murder conviction. The circumstances surrounding his conviction were troubling from the start. No physical evidence tied him to the murder. Only one of three witnesses identified him as being at the scene. And the other person convicted in the murder said that Sailor was innocent and named his accomplice.
Through the years, Sailor tried in vain to get a new day in court. When he called Corral, he had just lost an appeal and was procedurally exhausted. Despite being an “impossible case” which many other lawyers had turned down, Corral took up Sailor’s defense.
“When Ru-El told me that someone else has admitted to these murders, I naively thought there had to be something we could do without knowing how difficult the post-conviction process really is,” she says.
Corral turned to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Office’s Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU), designed to review cases of those who maintain their innocence. She applied to the unit on two separate occasions and was denied both times. Finally, on the third try, the case was accepted. A 15-month investigation led to Sailor’s exoneration and release in March 2018. It was the first case the CIU had overturned stemming from a convict’s application.
“Having heard ‘Learn Law. Live Justice.’ repeatedly at C|M|LAW, I realized what was happening in this case was not justice,” Corral says. “The court’s constant inability to address its own mistakes was an ongoing injustice. So, at every point when it seemed like there was nothing else to do, we tried something else, because I was unwilling to call my client who deserved justice and say, ‘there’s nothing else I can do.’”
Corral continues to fight injustices and in October was at the White House to advocate for a client seeking clemency.
She is active in the C|M|LAW community and has returned to the law school on several occasions to talk with students. “I would choose C|M|LAW again,” she notes. “It means a lot to me that the law school is educating students en masse but is very much providing an individualized education.”
Corral was inspired to pursue law school during a cross-country bicycle trip. The Cleveland Institute of Art graduate was an industrial designer “making things that were going to go into a landfill” when she joined the nine-week Bike Across America trip which included stops in urban and rural communities experiencing various social hardships.
“That trip introduced me to this sort of emboldened way of thinking, ‘I can fix this, I can solve this,’”
she says.
Also in This Issue...
Harlan Sands
President Harlan M. Sands rose from humble beginnings through the Navy, law, and higher-ed leadership. Now at CSU, he champions urban education and community-focused student success.
CSU Moving Forward Together
Noting that he has “always liked challenges with big opportunities attached,” Harlan M. Sands officially took on the greatest challenge and opportunity of his academic career – serving as president of Cleveland State University.
Film and Media Arts Students Take Center Stage
The Forest City. Home of rock and roll. Hollywood of the Midwest? Cleveland may soon have a new nickname, thanks to CSU’s new School of Film & Media Arts.
A Message from the President
President Sands celebrates presiding over CSU’s commencement, honors student success, and highlights the university’s growth and community impact in urban research.
Green Power
CSU is one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to the 2018 edition of The Princeton Review’s Guide to 399 Green Colleges.
Enrollment Grows Again!
Marking its 11th straight year of enrollment growth, CSU welcomed more than 1,950 first-year students to campus fall semester, as well as 30 new faculty members.
Treating Diabetes
A team of researchers led by CSU received a $1.69 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to improve treatment of type-2 diabetes.
Law Hall of Fame
Twenty-six leaders — including judges, alumni & public servants — were inducted into CSU's C|M|LAW Hall of Fame. A new legal tech lab also opened to prepare students for practice with hands-on tools.
C|M|LAW Tops Bar Exam
CSU’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law had the highest passage rate for first-time takers of the July Ohio Bar Exam. The school’s 93 percent passage rate was well above the state average of 79 percent.
In Tribute to the Public Service
David Abbott, executive director of the George Gund Foundation, was honored with the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs 2018 In Tribute to the Public Service Award.
MakerSpace Fuels Creativity
CSU’s Dan T. Moore MakerSpace is officially open for business, enhancing Engaged Learning opportunities and helping produce “Ready-to-Go” engineers to meet industry needs.
Master of Influence
The Bernie Moreno Center for Sales Excellence at Cleveland State University launched with an inaugural event featuring Robert Cialdini, widely regarded as the worldwide expert on influence and persuasion.
A Tip of the Viking Helmet
Roland V. Anglin, dean of the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, was elected to the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA).
On the Front Lines Combatting Disease
Scientific breakthroughs and cutting-edge discoveries by CSU faculty researchers are helping cure disease, improve quality of life and even save lives.
Record $1.7-plus Million Raised for Scholarships
Radiance, CSU’s annual fundraising event to support student scholarships, raised a record $1.7-plus million in 2018, bringing its seven-year total to over $7.8 million to help students who are a few dollars short graduate on time.
Why I Say “Yes” to Radiance
Mark Ross, managing partner at PwC, shares his thoughts on Radiance.
Homecoming
Were you one of the many alumni who came home to CSU for Homecoming 2018? For those that came from near and far, thank you. We enjoyed talking with you, sharing memories and showing you all that CSU has become.
Distinguished Alumni Awards
From a law man to a scientist and a hoops star to a poetess, CSU’s 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients represent the wide-ranging power of a CSU education.
Second Act
Thinking of a new career, starting a business, or finding that meaningful volunteer role? Second Act, a new educational series explores lifestyle, health, finance and volunteerism issues to help you find your place in the changing seasons of life.
On the Road Again
The CSU Alumni Association is on the road again, reconnecting with graduates near and far.
Class Notes – Winter 2019
Harlan Sands
President Harlan M. Sands rose from humble beginnings through the Navy, law, and higher-ed leadership. Now at CSU, he champions urban education and community-focused student success.
Film and Media Arts Students Take Center Stage
The Forest City. Home of rock and roll. Hollywood of the Midwest? Cleveland may soon have a new nickname, thanks to CSU’s new School of Film & Media Arts.
Green Power
CSU is one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to the 2018 edition of The Princeton Review’s Guide to 399 Green Colleges.
Treating Diabetes
A team of researchers led by CSU received a $1.69 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to improve treatment of type-2 diabetes.
C|M|LAW Tops Bar Exam
CSU’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law had the highest passage rate for first-time takers of the July Ohio Bar Exam. The school’s 93 percent passage rate was well above the state average of 79 percent.
MakerSpace Fuels Creativity
CSU’s Dan T. Moore MakerSpace is officially open for business, enhancing Engaged Learning opportunities and helping produce “Ready-to-Go” engineers to meet industry needs.
A Tip of the Viking Helmet
Roland V. Anglin, dean of the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, was elected to the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA).
Record $1.7-plus Million Raised for Scholarships
Radiance, CSU’s annual fundraising event to support student scholarships, raised a record $1.7-plus million in 2018, bringing its seven-year total to over $7.8 million to help students who are a few dollars short graduate on time.
Homecoming
Were you one of the many alumni who came home to CSU for Homecoming 2018? For those that came from near and far, thank you. We enjoyed talking with you, sharing memories and showing you all that CSU has become.
Second Act
Thinking of a new career, starting a business, or finding that meaningful volunteer role? Second Act, a new educational series explores lifestyle, health, finance and volunteerism issues to help you find your place in the changing seasons of life.
Class Notes – Winter 2019
CSU Moving Forward Together
Noting that he has “always liked challenges with big opportunities attached,” Harlan M. Sands officially took on the greatest challenge and opportunity of his academic career – serving as president of Cleveland State University.
A Message from the President
President Sands celebrates presiding over CSU’s commencement, honors student success, and highlights the university’s growth and community impact in urban research.
Enrollment Grows Again!
Marking its 11th straight year of enrollment growth, CSU welcomed more than 1,950 first-year students to campus fall semester, as well as 30 new faculty members.
Law Hall of Fame
Twenty-six leaders — including judges, alumni & public servants — were inducted into CSU's C|M|LAW Hall of Fame. A new legal tech lab also opened to prepare students for practice with hands-on tools.
In Tribute to the Public Service
David Abbott, executive director of the George Gund Foundation, was honored with the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs 2018 In Tribute to the Public Service Award.
Master of Influence
The Bernie Moreno Center for Sales Excellence at Cleveland State University launched with an inaugural event featuring Robert Cialdini, widely regarded as the worldwide expert on influence and persuasion.
On the Front Lines Combatting Disease
Scientific breakthroughs and cutting-edge discoveries by CSU faculty researchers are helping cure disease, improve quality of life and even save lives.
Why I Say “Yes” to Radiance
Mark Ross, managing partner at PwC, shares his thoughts on Radiance.
Distinguished Alumni Awards
From a law man to a scientist and a hoops star to a poetess, CSU’s 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients represent the wide-ranging power of a CSU education.
On the Road Again
The CSU Alumni Association is on the road again, reconnecting with graduates near and far.
Harlan Sands
President Harlan M. Sands rose from humble beginnings through the Navy, law, and higher-ed leadership. Now at CSU, he champions urban education and community-focused student success.
A Message from the President
President Sands celebrates presiding over CSU’s commencement, honors student success, and highlights the university’s growth and community impact in urban research.
Treating Diabetes
A team of researchers led by CSU received a $1.69 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to improve treatment of type-2 diabetes.
In Tribute to the Public Service
David Abbott, executive director of the George Gund Foundation, was honored with the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs 2018 In Tribute to the Public Service Award.
A Tip of the Viking Helmet
Roland V. Anglin, dean of the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, was elected to the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA).
Why I Say “Yes” to Radiance
Mark Ross, managing partner at PwC, shares his thoughts on Radiance.
Second Act
Thinking of a new career, starting a business, or finding that meaningful volunteer role? Second Act, a new educational series explores lifestyle, health, finance and volunteerism issues to help you find your place in the changing seasons of life.
CSU Moving Forward Together
Noting that he has “always liked challenges with big opportunities attached,” Harlan M. Sands officially took on the greatest challenge and opportunity of his academic career – serving as president of Cleveland State University.
Green Power
CSU is one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to the 2018 edition of The Princeton Review’s Guide to 399 Green Colleges.
Law Hall of Fame
Twenty-six leaders — including judges, alumni & public servants — were inducted into CSU's C|M|LAW Hall of Fame. A new legal tech lab also opened to prepare students for practice with hands-on tools.
MakerSpace Fuels Creativity
CSU’s Dan T. Moore MakerSpace is officially open for business, enhancing Engaged Learning opportunities and helping produce “Ready-to-Go” engineers to meet industry needs.
On the Front Lines Combatting Disease
Scientific breakthroughs and cutting-edge discoveries by CSU faculty researchers are helping cure disease, improve quality of life and even save lives.
Homecoming
Were you one of the many alumni who came home to CSU for Homecoming 2018? For those that came from near and far, thank you. We enjoyed talking with you, sharing memories and showing you all that CSU has become.
On the Road Again
The CSU Alumni Association is on the road again, reconnecting with graduates near and far.
Film and Media Arts Students Take Center Stage
The Forest City. Home of rock and roll. Hollywood of the Midwest? Cleveland may soon have a new nickname, thanks to CSU’s new School of Film & Media Arts.
Enrollment Grows Again!
Marking its 11th straight year of enrollment growth, CSU welcomed more than 1,950 first-year students to campus fall semester, as well as 30 new faculty members.
C|M|LAW Tops Bar Exam
CSU’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law had the highest passage rate for first-time takers of the July Ohio Bar Exam. The school’s 93 percent passage rate was well above the state average of 79 percent.
Master of Influence
The Bernie Moreno Center for Sales Excellence at Cleveland State University launched with an inaugural event featuring Robert Cialdini, widely regarded as the worldwide expert on influence and persuasion.
Record $1.7-plus Million Raised for Scholarships
Radiance, CSU’s annual fundraising event to support student scholarships, raised a record $1.7-plus million in 2018, bringing its seven-year total to over $7.8 million to help students who are a few dollars short graduate on time.
Distinguished Alumni Awards
From a law man to a scientist and a hoops star to a poetess, CSU’s 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients represent the wide-ranging power of a CSU education.