Valena Elizabeth Beety

Valena Elizabeth Beety is the Robert H. McKinney Professor of Law at Indiana University Maurer School of Law. She is a prominent scholar and practitioner in criminal justice reform, wrongful convictions, and forensic evidence with extensive experience as both a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C. and an innocence litigator in Mississippi and West Virginia.

Education:

• JD, University of Chicago Law School
• BA, University of Chicago

Professor Beety's research focuses on systemic failures in criminal justice, particularly wrongful convictions involving faulty forensic evidence, gender bias, and the criminalization of pregnancy, motherhood, and queer identity. Her work bridges academic scholarship with practical legal advocacy, examining how criminal law disproportionately impacts women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and marginalized communities. She has pioneered approaches to investigating and remedying wrongful convictions through empirical research and direct legal representation.

Her scholarly output demonstrates consistent focus on criminal justice reform, with increasing attention to reproductive justice and the intersection of criminal law with gender identity. Recent publications analyze how forensic evidence is used in wrongful conviction cases, the impact of facial recognition technology on eyewitness identification, and the strategic criminalization of pregnancy and queer identity.

Scientific Awards:

• Indiana University Trustees' Teaching Award (2025)
• West Virginia University College of Law Significant Scholarship Award (2016)
• West Virginia Law Review Faculty Member of the Year Award (2016)
• West Virginia Public Defender Services John A. 'Jack' Rogers Award for Outstanding Leadership in Public Service (2019)

Professor Beety has secured significant research funding from the National Institute of Justice, National Science Foundation, and American Arbitration Association. She has successfully exonerated wrongfully convicted clients and obtained presidential clemency for individuals convicted of drug offenses. Her scholarship on faulty forensic evidence and wrongful convictions has been cited by judges, including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

She serves as Founding Director of the West Virginia Innocence Project, Deputy Director of the Academy for Justice at Arizona State University, and Founding Board Member of the Indiana Innocence Project, working collaboratively with students, lawyers, and investigators to address systemic failures in the criminal justice system.