Claudia Salinas

Claudia Salinas is a Staff Attorney at The Innocence Center, where she works on wrongful conviction cases involving racial bias, government misconduct, and other systemic failures within the criminal legal system. Her work includes both post-conviction litigation and advocating for incarcerated clients during parole and alternative release proceedings, where she helps present and litigate plausible claims of innocence.

Claudia earned her Bachelor of Science in Criminology from California State University, Fresno, before obtaining her Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law. Prior to her innocence work, she served as a 911 Communications Dispatcher and later worked as a District Representative for a California State Senator, experiences that continue to shape her perspective on public service and justice reform.

In addition to her role at The Innocence Center, Claudia serves as the Chair of the Innocence Network’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and is also a Board Member for the Innocence Network, where she helps lead national conversations and initiatives focused on equity, ethics, and culture within innocence organizations across the country.

Fluent in Spanish, Claudia is passionate about client-centered advocacy and ensuring individuals navigating the legal system feel heard, respected, and understood.

Outside of her legal work, Claudia has been playing poker for more than a decade, an interest that has strengthened her strategic thinking, patience, and ability to read people under pressure.