SCDAG Office Hires Veteran Defense Attorney McClusky to Head Conviction Review Unit

Oct. 18, 2022 – The Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office has hired veteran defense attorney Lorna McClusky to head the office’s new conviction review unit, said Shelby County D.A. General Steve Mulroy.

The new unit, dubbed the Post-Conviction Justice Unit, will review prior cases for possible errors and false convictions. The Unit will also examine sentences that have already been handed down to assess whether or not those sentences were appropriate, taking into account changes in the law.

Mrs. McClusky graduated from the University Of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1994. In 1998 she became a member of the Massey McClusky Law Firm, where she rose to managing partner. She has nearly three decades of experience practicing criminal law, including extensive work on capital cases. “This is an epochal shift for the justice system of Shelby County,” said Mrs. McClusky. “We are looking forward to our Unit advancing DA Mulroy's vision of not merely remedying false convictions, but of creating a stronger legal system built on fairness.”

“Mrs. McClusky brings to the office not only decades of legal experience, but also a proven record of fighting for fairness in the criminal justice system,” said DA Mulroy. “This is a crucial step in getting the new unit up and running, and ensuring that we not only remedy false convictions, but potentially bring to justice the actual perpetrator of the crime in these cases where the wrong person was convicted.”