Fran Watson’s career reflects a long-standing commitment to criminal justice and legal education in Indiana. She served as the first Chief Public Defender of Marion County before joining the faculty at Indiana University McKinney School of Law. There, she served as director of the Criminal Defense Clinic and later founded the Wrongful Conviction Clinic in 2001. Over a 25-year period, Fran and her students worked on cases that led to the release of wrongfully convicted individuals.