Mark Olive is an attorney in private practice. For thirty years he has defended capital cases at trial, on appeal, and in post-conviction proceedings, and has taught United States Supreme Court and Capital Punishment Seminars in law schools around the country. Mark’s litigation work includes his cases before the United States Supreme Court -- notably including Herrera v. Collins (execution of the innocent) and Atkins v. Virginia (execution of the mentally retarded) -- and before Federal Circuit courts, district courts, and state courts nationwide. Mark has served as Habeas Assistance and Training Counsel with John Blume since the project's inception in 1996.