How Debevoise Scrubbed 1,000 Years From ‘Unjust’ Prison Terms

Welcome back to the Big Law Business column on the changing legal marketplace written by me, Roy Strom. Today, we look at how a former federal judge at Debevoise built a project to undo “stacked” sentences. Sign up to receive this column in your inbox on Thursday mornings.

One case stuck with John Gleeson more than just about any other during his 20-plus years as a federal judge. In 1996, his second year on the bench, Gleeson was forced to sentence a defendant to a 57-year prison term—after the man passed up the government’s 11-year plea deal offer.

In ...