The Defender Project was esablished in 1965 by KU Professor Paul E. Wilson with an intent to help prisoners who might not otherwise receive legal presentation. The project was renamed in 2008 to honor Wilson and is now called the Paul E. Wilson Project for Innocence and Post-Conviction Remedies.

Students helping in the project may represent state and federal prisoners wtih conducting fact investigations, locating and working with expert witnesses, drafting pleadings, filing motions, preparing appellate briefs, or creating case strategy. In addition to general records about the project and specific case files, this series also includes some files regarding students who participated in the Kansas Defender Project.