In This Episode:
Host Bruce Richard sits down with Shira Diner to explore:

• How BU Law’s Defender Clinic gives students hands-on experience with real clients
• The biggest challenges and misconceptions law students have about public defense
• Strategies for developing confidence and resilience in the courtroom
• The importance of mentorship, networking, and work-life balance in the legal field

Featured Guest:
Shira Diner

• Lecturer & Clinical Instructor, BU Law Defender Clinic
• Former Director of Associate Development & Recruitment, Todd & Weld LLP
• Former public defender with CPCS for 17 years, including as a supervising attorney in the Criminal Defense Training Unit
• President of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• Former adjunct clinical professor at Suffolk Law, where she created and ran the Innocence Clinic
• Appointed by Governor Charlie Baker to the Massachusetts Sentencing Commission

Don’t Miss:

• Shira’s advice for law students and new lawyers navigating their first cases
• How mock trials and experiential learning build better attorneys
• Why Legally Blonde holds a key lesson for cross-examinations

Links and Resources:

• MCLE Online Pass
• BU Law Defender Clinic - Boston
• Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Important Note:

Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. (MCLE) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing high-quality, practical continuing legal education for the legal community. As part of its educational mission, MCLE presents a wide range of viewpoints and instructional content intended solely for educational purposes.

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by individual participants in this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of MCLE, its Board of Trustees, staff, or affiliated institutions. Inclusion of any material or commentary does not constitute an endorsement of any position on any issue by MCLE.

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