Work

Building upon my two decades of practice as a criminal defense lawyer, and clinical law professor in the United States, I foster existing individual and institutional strengths in my international development work.

Criminal Defense and Legal Aid Development

The core of my work is supporting the development of effective criminal legal aid systems internationally. Legal aid for the criminally accused is essential to ensure access to justice and rule of law. In both Nepal and Myanmar I have encouraged client-centered lawyering through lawyer skills trainings, and coaching and case review, and resources such as practice manuals. I also provide strategic support for a nascent public defender offices by developing case management systems, performance goals, and internal supervisory systems. I encourage synergy through linkages to clinical legal education efforts and community-focused know your rights campaigns.

My expertise is based upon almost 20 years of direct representation in the criminal justice system in three different models of public defender offices in the United State. In addition to my defense attorney role, I have also developed and implemented necessary programs for LGBT victims of crime and police abuse.

I have represented hundreds of clients facing charges ranging from the most minor (but significant to the accused) to sexual assault and murder. In my role as supervising attorney at the innovative Bronx Defenders, I trained, coached and guided an interdisciplinary teams of criminal, civil, family and immigration lawyers, along with social workers and investigators, to address the multiple needs of clients both in and beyond the criminal justice system.

Justice Education

I am an experienced clinical educator.  At Hofstra University in New York,USA,  I was visiting associate clinical professor of law from 2010 to 2013.  As director of the Criminal Justice Clinic I taught and supervised students practicing in the misdemeanor courts in Nassau County.   I also taught three non-clinical courses: Comparative Juvenile Justice; Practical Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Lawyering; and Sexuality and the Law. 

My clinical teaching has continued internationally. As a consultant with the legal aid projects described elsewhere, I applied my teaching experience to improve critically needed basic analytical, research and investigatory skills. In Myanmar, I trained law teachers on interactive teaching methodologies and clinical education models, hoping that these tools might prove to be a sustainable way to improve the capacity of lawyers to be zealous advocates in developing justice systems.

From 2014 to 2016, as head curriculum developer and trainer of trainers at the UNDP-supported Myanmar Rule of Law Centers, I helped create foundational rule of law trainings, lawyer skills trainings, and community legal education forums to rectify gaps in knowledge, skills and human rights values amongst legal professionals, law teachers and community leaders.

Justice System Capacity Building 

Unless justice systems and governmental actors are committed to transparency, access to justice and legal certainty, then efforts to promote access to justice through lawyer capacity building and improved university and community legal education are doomed to fail.  In my work in the United States and internationally, I have incorporated opportunities for cross-sector dialogue into legal aid and access to justice projects. Police, prosecutors, judges and prison authorities must be educated on client-centered lawyering, new defense practices and expanded expectations by rights holders for them to respond positively.

I have also learned much from focused capacity building projects with prosecution authorities - police and public prosecutors - which informs my work with defense lawyers and with civil society. Working with the UNODC in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, I have engaged directly with prosecutors and police to improve pre-arrest investigation procedures and to foster the development of universally applied charging standards. This ensures that cases are evaluated and vetted for both legal sufficiency and for the public interest.