AIM club looks to build better future

By Sophia Potter
Staff Writer

AIM, or the Advancing the Innocence Movement, is a new club at LCC this fall created by two classmates with a clear vision for a better future.

Faculty Adviser Alice Bernal said: “They really are the decision makers and go-getters in this endeavor. This club will be because of them. What it will be, will be because of them.”

Karen Schwartz-Peevy, a legal studies major, first had the idea for the club after gaining interest in the Innocence Network through her daughter.

“I first learned about their work when my daughter was preparing to attend the University of Missouri and the case of Ryan Ferguson was reaching its conclusion.”

Last semester Schwartz-Peevy connected with classmate Jayla Lutz, a criminal justice/law enforcement and legal studies major, about their shared passion.

“Karen reached out to me last semester during our Critical Thinking in Law course about helping kick off this club after a discussion board post I made about wanting to work on exoneration cases,” Lutz said.

Lutz has long had an interest in the types of cases abut which AIM Collective hopes to raise awareness.

“I was lucky enough to meet a local paralegal who worked for a law firm that has handled/assisted multiple exoneration cases back in 2021, who opened my eyes to the career path I want to pursue,” Lutz said.

“I couldn't tell you how many hours I spent researching cases, listening to podcasts, and watching live streams of court proceedings. It became such a passion of mine.”

Even in their first semester as a club at LCC, Schwartz-Peevy and Lutz already have big plans to make an impact on the LCC community and beyond.

“Although we are not affiliated with a larger organization, we will be working with the Cooley Law School Innocence Project and Organization of Exonerees,” Schwartz-Peevy said.

Potential collaborative events include, “hosting a speaking engagement with former exonerees and fundraisers to benefit their organizations,” she added.

The club currently consists of just Schwartz-Peevy and Lutz, but they have already reached out to a few interested members to set a meeting time that works for everyone. Meetings will be held virtually, likely on Wednesday evenings.

Schwartz-Peevy and Lutz said they hope to extend the reach of AIM outside of LCC through public Instagram and Facebook pages. Interested students can also register for the club here, or contact Faculty Adviser Alice Bernal for more information here.