Matthew Long is the litigation fellow at the Washington Innocence Project. He is proud to support the litigation team with the monumental work they accomplish. He brings his prior commitments and passions within academia and advocacy towards this realm of post-conviction law.
Matthew earned his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Washington, where he majored in Law, Societies, and Justice and graduated with four distinctions of honors.
While learning about the criminal legal system, Matthew engaged in two research endeavors that centered around incarceration and justice. He studied abroad in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands and gained firsthand knowledge regarding the policies and practices of criminal punishment in comparison with the United States. He then designed a research paper that identified overlapping issues between the three prison systems he observed and how policy reforms could be feasibly implemented. Additionally, Matthew conducted independent qualitative research for his honors thesis which focused on the intersection of carceral experiences and LGBTQ+ rights. Both of these research opportunities reinforced his notions of justice and motivated him to join the Washington Innocence Project.
Furthermore, Matthew brings his experience as a legal assistant in the Juvenile Parole Project at his university, where he gained insight into the reality of the clemency process for those who were sentenced as minors. His legal team partnered with the Seattle Clemency Project, which allowed him to discern the importance of increasing access to justice for those impacted by the penal system.
Beyond his academic and professional work, Matthew values a variety of hobbies such as running half marathons, exploring new cafes, and reading. You could probably find him at a local flea market or running along a waterfront.
