Emory Law School Website

Deirdre O'Connor

Director, Indigent Criminal Defense Clinic

Deirdre O'Connor is the Director of the Indigent Criminal Defense Clinic and teaches a course in conjunction with the clinic.  Prior to coming to Emory, Professor O’Connor worked exclusively as an indigent criminal defense attorney.  After graduating Northeastern University School of Law in 1993, Professor O’Connor worked as a trial lawyer at the Los Angeles County Public Defenders Office until 2003.  As a law student and recent graduate, she interned at public defenders offices in Northern California and Anchorage, Alaska.  Most recently she worked as a public defender in Massachusetts.

Professor O’Connor has taught evidence as an adjunct professor in California.  She also organized various training programs for trial attorneys as a member of the CLE committee at Los Angeles County Public Defenders Office.

Professor O’Connor’s scholarly interests include the role of zealous criminal defense attorneys in an adversary system, trial advocacy, the causes and prevention of crime, children’s rights, and compassionate treatment of criminal defendants.

Director of Indigent Criminal Defense Clinic.  B.S. Empire State, S.U.N.Y. at Albany, N.Y.; J.D. Northeastern University School of Law, 1993.