Marvin Zalman

Marvin Zalman is a Professor at Wayne State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, specializing in wrongful convictions, constitutional criminal procedure, and criminal justice policy. He holds a B.A. in History from Cornell University (1963), an L.L.B. (1966) and J.D. (1967) from Brooklyn Law School, an M.A. (1971), and a Ph.D. (1977) from the State University of New York at Albany. His research focuses on wrongful conviction incidence, innocence movements (especially in China), and criminal justice policy reforms. He has co-authored seminal works like Wrongful Conviction and Criminal Justice Reform: Making Justice (2014) and pioneered analyses of forensic science controversies, police interrogation practices, and legal system reforms. Notably, his work traces the legacy of wrongful conviction scholarship and critiques systemic flaws in criminal investigations.

Publications emphasize comparative legal analyses, such as examining China’s interrogation practices and proposing trial system modifications. Despite formally retiring from legal practice in New York, his academic contributions remain central to criminal justice discourse. Awards and grants are not explicitly mentioned, but his prolific output highlights sustained engagement with legal reform and policy sustainability.