Many of those who have done time in prison based on convictions that are ultimately tossed out often find—perhaps by the sheer amount of time they spend in post-conviction appeals while they're behind bars—that they have an affinity for law, and some take it as far as striving to get a J.D. themselves.

Martin Tankleff, who was wrongfully convicted of murdering his parents in 1990, went that route. He graduated from Touro Law Center in 2014 and successfully navigated the character and fitness screening to add his name to the state's roll of attorneys.