Q: From 2005-08, you were a legal analyst for NBC and MSNBC. You shared insight on numerous high-profile cases, including Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant, O.J. Simpson and Jon Benet Ramsey. What was the most insightful thing you learned from being a TV analyst that has affected your current practice of law?
A: As a TV analyst, I had to read, listen and learn the facts as given to me very quickly, form my opinion, and speak, sometimes in a matter of seconds. At times, a story was so sensational, or heinous, that I had to work hard to not react and to separate the legal elements of the story from the media frenzy of opinion. I had to stay grounded, and keep my legal mind sharp, lest I got swept into the bubble of buzz of a story.
I learned in television that no matter the question, give the answer you want to give. Have your talking points and get your message across even if your answer is not responsive to the question. This doesn’t work as a practicing lawyer in the courtroom. No matter what the Judge asks, I’ve learned to be sure to answer their question, as asked, and make sure the witness answers my questions, as asked.
Further, my TV experience taught me that in the practice of law, it is extremely important to take my time, learn, uncover, discover and understand the facts. And to separate fact from opinion. Not all is as it seems when told in a 10-second sound bite. And I have learned not to judge quickly or form fast opinions. Behind every story is a human being. I have learned to find the human being, rather than the story. Instant analysis and quick opinion, while an important skill as a television analyst, may not always serve me as lawyer and counsel for my client.
Q: You began your career in 1991 as a special public defender at a New Haven legal aid clinic, representing indigent defendants charged with crimes. Since then, you’ve worked as an assistant state’s attorney to deputy assistant state’s attorney and solo practitioner to, most recently, of counsel for Cohen & Wolf in Westport. What did that work 25 years ago as a special public defender teach you about law and the judicial system?
A: I learned early on that most lawyers and judges are fair, noble and honorable. For the most part, the criminal justice system works. Juries often get it right even if a trial does not go exactly according to plan. I learned to put away my inner skeptic and have faith in our criminal justice system, to trust it, love it and work hard to preserve its highest traditions as practiced in Connecticut.
