Profile

Frances Lee Watson

Clinical Professor of Law Emerita

Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
Lawrence W. Inlow Hall, Room 111J
530 W. New York Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3225

E-Mail: fwatson@iu.edu

Education

B.S., 1976, Ball State University
J.D., 1980, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law

Courses

Wrongful Conviction Clinic, Lawyering Practice, and Law and Forensic Science

Bio

Frances Lee Watson first taught at the law school from 1990 – 1992, as a Visiting Professor in the Criminal Defense Clinic. From 1993 to 1995, she left teaching to serve as the first Chief Public Defender of the Marion County Public Defender’s Agency. As the chief executive of the newly created county indigent defense agency, Frances Watson was responsible for the development and implementation of comprehensive office policy.

After returning to the law school in 1995, Professor Watson continued to direct the Criminal Defense Clinic and developed the Wrongful Conviction Clinic.  The Wrongful Conviction Clinic is a founding member of the Innocence Network and provides live-client representation in state and federal proceedings to Indiana inmates claiming actual innocence and wrongful conviction.    Over the past two decades, Professor Watson teaching has included the Criminal Defense Clinic, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Professional Responsibility, and the Trial Competition.  Presently, in addition to the Wrongful Conviction Clinic, she routinely teaches Lawyering Practice and Law and Forensic Science.

Professor Watson’s years in practice included work as a deputy state public defender at the trial and appellate levels and representation of the police department and elected officials as an assistant corporation counsel for the City of Indianapolis/Marion County. She is a member of the bar of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States District Courts of Northern and Southern Indiana, and the State of Indiana.  She is a master of the Indianapolis American Inns of Court, on the Board of Directors of the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, and participates as an active member of the Children’s Policy and Law Initiative of Indiana.  Professor Watson also is a founding member of the Board of the IU Indianapolis Forensic Science Initiative and an elected member of the American Academy of Forensic Science. 

Publications

Books and Chapters

• Indiana Practice and Procedure, West Publishing, Criminal Procedure, Volumes 16, 16A, 16B, Annual Supplements, 2011-2020

Law Review and Journal Articles

• Dedication: Tribute to Professor Mary Therese Wolf, Clinic Director, 45 Ind. L. Rev. 289, Orr and Watson (2012)

Presentations

• Justice in Action, IPDC Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2020
• Righting Wrongful Convictions with Forensic Science, State Bar Solo and Small Firm Conference, French Lick, Indiana, 2019
• Indiana Interpretation of Rules of Evidence Governing Expert Testimony, Administrative Law Judges Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2019
• Annual Update, Indiana Public Defender Council, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2018
• Wrongful Convictions, Keynote Speaker, I.U. Professional Council Spring Forum, 2018
• Moderator, CPLI Annual Update, Juvenile Court Perspectives on Challenges Raised by Competency Cases, Indianapolis, Indiana 2018
• Panelist, Wrongful Conviction Conference, Purdue Northwest, Indiana, 2018
• Panelist, Strategies for Avoiding Arrest and Maintaining Positive Learning Environments, Positive School Discipline Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana 2018
• Evidence Preservation and Exoneree Compensation, 5th Annual International Wrongful Conviction Day, Indianapolis, Indiana 2018
• Interdisciplinary Education Advances Justice, Poster Presentation, American Academy of Forensic Science Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2017
• Ethics of Wrongful Conviction, Justice Through Science, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2017
• DNA of Mixtures: New Science, (panel presentation) Innocence Network National Conference, San Diego, California, 2017
• Speaker, IndyBar Women and Law Division Summer Reception, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2017
• Police Interaction and Accountability Community Forum, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2017
• When DNA Alone Is Not Enough, American Academy of Forensic Science Annual Meeting, LA, 2017 (with Mark Perlin)
• Freeing the Innocent: Righting Wrongful Convictions, Wabash College, Indiana, 2017
• Spirit and Place Series Panelist, Equity in Action Discussion, Kheprw Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2017
• Righting Wrongful Convictions: New DNA Science Solves Old Cases Freeing the Innocent, IU McKinney Graduate Lecture Series, 2017
• Freeing the Innocent, Righting Wrongful Convictions, IU McKinney Graduate Speaker Series, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2015
• Law and Forensic Science in Indiana, Interdisciplinary Conference, IU McKinney School of Law, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2014
• Admissibility of Scientific and Expert Testimony, ICLEF, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2014
• The Daubert Rule, Annual Meeting Administrative Law Judges, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2014
• Law and Ethics Presentation, Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2013
• Revisiting Direct File, Summit of the Decriminalization of Youth Workgroup, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2013
• Paying It Forward to the Community While Advancing Your Career, Indy Bar Seminar, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2013
• Law and Forensic Science and the 2009 National Academy of Science Report, Spring Judicial Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2012
• Mental Health Issues & Veterans in Criminal Court, IU Kinney School of Law, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2012
• Law and Ethics Presentation, Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2012
• Damages Program, IUAA Operation LAWS, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2011
• How to Handle Cases Wrongful Conviction Cases, Innocence Network, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2011
• Federal Habeas Corpus: Timelines and Pitfalls, National Innocence Network Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2011
• Conviction of the Innocence, Roadblocks to Relief, ICLEFF, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2011
• Wrongful Conviction Case Management Symposium, U.S. Department of Justice, Florida, 2009
• Homicide Investigation, From Crime Scene to Court, IUPUI Office of Alumni Relations, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2009
• Innocence Network Policy Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2009
• Experts in the Courtroom, AALS Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., 2007
• Law and Forensic Science, Winter College, Sanibel, Florida, 2007
• Indiana Legal Education Conclave, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2007
• Legal Challenges in Forensic Analysis, Conference on Mass Spectrometry, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2007
• A Systemic Approach to Leveraging Better Pleas, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2007
• Forensic Science Symposium, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2006
• 35th Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2006
• Stories of Our Client’s Lives and Indiana’s Innocence Project, IPDC, Plainfield, Indiana, 2006
• Evidence at Trial and Sentencing, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2006
• Using Special Education Advocacy to Help Children in the Juvenile Justice System, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2004
• Fundamentals for Criminal Defense Lawyers, IPDC, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2004
• Trial Evidence, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2004
• Building Safe and Just Communities, One Person at a Time, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2003
• Addressing Mental Health Needs of Children: Indianapolis, Indiana, 2003
• Basic Training for Criminal Defense Lawyers, IPDC, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2003
• Norman Amaker Public Interest Law Retreat, Martinsville, Indiana, 2003
• Building & Maintaining A Client Relationship, IPDC, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2001
• Freeing the Innocent, Righting Wrongful Convictions in Indiana, Evansville Bar Foundation Randall T. Shepard Lecture Series, Evansville, Indiana, 2018

Other Activities

• Inspirational Woman Award, IUPUI, Office for Women, 2021
• Trustee Teaching Award, 2018
• Faculty Leadership Award, 2017-2018
• IU McKinney Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award, 2017
• Justice Award, Justice Through Science, 2017
• Inspiration Award, IU McKinney Faculty Executive Committee, 2017
• Indiana Lawyer Leadership in Law Distinguished Barrister, 2016
• Michael McDaniel IPDC Spirit of Justice Award, 2016
• Indiana State Bar Women in the Law Recognition, 2016
• Honoree, Equal Justice Works Public Interest Recognition Dinner, 2015
• Trustee Teaching Award, 2002
• Teaching Excellence Award, 1999