In December 2025, after serving 19 years of a 28-years-to-life sentence in Folsom Prison, our pro bono client Christopher Williams—surrounded by his family and community members—had his petition for resentencing granted by a California Superior Court. The resentencing hearing was prompted by the rare recommendation from the Secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's to recall his original sentence, citing Williams's extraordinary record of personal growth and service.

With his new sentence of 18-years-to-life, Williams became immediately eligible for parole. Our team is now assisting him as he prepares for the next step toward coming home.

Williams’s journey reflects the purpose of White & Case's Access to Justice Initiative ("Initiative"), a global effort that seeks second chances for individuals burdened by disproportionate sentences and unjust practices. Created in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd, the Initiative has handled hundreds of matters. Among the most successful are resentencing work in the District of Columbia, under which we have brought eight incarcerated people home from prison; the Case Closed Project, through which we have sealed the yellowed criminal records of 51 New Yorkers; and our historic partnership with Stanford Law School’s Three Strikes Project, now bringing people home from prison in California.

The case for reconsideration

In 2006, Williams, then 28 years old, was convicted of first-degree murder as an aider and abettor and sentenced to 28-years-to-life in prison. While serving his sentence, Williams spent nearly two decades pursuing education and service, earning an associate degree, completing thousands of hours of training and programs, and leading food and backpack drives that connected the prison with neighborhoods beyond its walls.

Twelve years into his sentence, then-Governor Jerry Brown signed a law authorizing the Secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to recommend resentencing for individuals who have demonstrated exceptional conduct and whose continued incarceration is no longer in the interests of justice. Williams was an ideal candidate for this law’s purpose and, in 2025, he received such a recommendation.

A case built on evidence and rehabilitation

Following this recommendation, our lawyers filed a comprehensive brief accompanied by hundreds of pages of evidence, including detailed documentation of Williams's prison record, letters from community leaders, endorsements from two judges and a structured re-entry plan. A community risk expert opined Williams would not pose a danger if released.

In December 2025, following a two-hour hearing led by Silicon Valley counsel Jeremy Ostrander and attended by many of Williams's family and community members, the court resentenced Williams, making him immediately eligible for parole.

Initiative co-chair and Washington, DC partner Dana Foster says, "This outcome is proof that locally led legal reform and pro bono partnership can restore not only individual lives but the well-being of entire communities."

A collaborative model for sentencing review

The collaboration with the Three Strikes Project expands access to relief for individuals sentenced under California's draconian sentencing regime. It combines academic research, student training and direct advocacy to support cases where resentencing is warranted under reformed law.

White & Case lawyers focus on reformed individuals like Williams, as well as those convicted as juveniles but sentenced as adults. In several matters, the team is seeking resentencing to time served, arguing that current legal standards—and the individuals' demonstrated rehabilitation—warrant reconsideration of sentences imposed decades earlier.

Global effort, shared impact

Our collaboration with the Three Strikes Project at Stanford illustrates how pro bono engagement can operate at scale—combining academic expertise with the resources and experience of a global law firm to help ensure that legal reform is meaningfully implemented.

More than 160 lawyers and business services professionals across our Firm contribute their time and skills to the Initiative, and enthusiasm continues to grow.

New York partner John Reiss, who established the collaboration between Three Strikes and White & Case, says, "Together, we are helping translate evolving legal standards into fair outcomes and demonstrating how collective effort can produce lasting impact."

Partner Perspectives: Partners John Reiss, Belinda Harvey and Dana Foster discuss the importance of our work with Stanford Law School’s Three Strikes Project

Photo courtesy of the Three Strikes Project
Two people embrace outside a prison.