In an Australian first, law students from UTS have begun reviewing the cases of NSW prisoners who may have been wrongly convicted, in the hope of overturning unjust convictions.

UTS Advanced Criminal Law students are working with prisoners on the "Innocence Project", a title borrowed from similar projects undertaken in the United States and started by members of the OJ Simpson legal "Dream Team".

UTS law school students are corresponding with approximately 40 NSW prisoners who believe they have been wrongfully convicted and are 'factually innocent', a first for law schools in this country.

UTS law lecturer and Innocence Project coordinator, Ms Kirsten Edwards, said the students were currently gathering evidence on the prisoners' cases. Students would then screen each case in detail and present cases to their Advanced Criminal Law class.

"The class will assess the evidence that was against the prisoner, the possibility of discovering new evidence and the possibility of being able to overturn the conviction," she said.

"As part of the learning exercise, students will debate and brainstorm on how strong each case is, and whether it's a good case for us to take on.

"Practising solicitors who have volunteered to work for free on the project will also advise students about which cases warrant further investigation. If cases are taken on, teams of students will then work under the supervision of solicitors on those cases."

Ms Edwards hopes that the project will result in some wrongly convicted prisoners "walking out of jail".

"In the United States more than 90 innocent people have had serious convictions overturned, thanks to the work of Innocence projects," she said.

Ms Edwards said the project would give students first-hand experience of the "coal face" of criminal law.

"We'll be going to the courts and prisons and we'll be talking to Police, to prosecutors, forensic investigators, to the Aboriginal Legal Service and to Legal Aid," she said.

"In talking to all the major agencies of the criminal justice system, students will get a better understanding of the roles of all the different stakeholders.

"They'll see how facts are presented by each agency, how facts progress into court and how courtroom stories are told," she said.

"I've just returned from two years at Yale University in the United States, and I'm a real convert to practical legal experience, which is critical for law students. This is my way of bringing clinical education to the teaching of criminal law at UTS".

Ms Edwards said she hoped the project would also demonstrate to students that the criminal justice system was far from perfect.

"It's important that students understand that the system is not perfect, and that we work towards informing people of its flaws and trying to improve it," she said.

She said she also hoped to eventually establish a prisoner advocacy centre within the UTS Law faculty.

"There are many more issues than just factual innocence in our prisons and some of sort of prisoner advocacy centre would be a great development for students, and for the community at large," she said.