MDefenders Alum
What is your name?
Richa Bijlani, ’22.
Where are you from originally?
Troy, Michigan.
Where did you attend college for your undergraduate degree?
Vanderbilt University.
Where are you working now and what is your position there?
I’m a Deputy Public Defender at the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office. I work in the Pueblo office.
How did MDefenders play a role in your law school experience?
MDefenders kept me grounded through three years of law school. As a student, it felt so easy to get swept up into a purely academic contemplation of the law, its origins, and the theory behind it. MDefenders events and meetings were a consistent reminder of how things we discussed on an intellectual level in class have very real applications and unjust consequences. Whether we were discussing internship experiences or having a Friendsgiving potluck, my MDefenders peers always kept me going through the slog and reminded me of why I chose to law school in the first place.
How has MDefenders made a difference in your career development?
MDefenders is an incredible network of public defenders and like-minded attorneys that are always happy to talk about experiences at different offices, share available opportunities, and give advice. After law school, I clerked for a former public defender and University of Michigan alum, and I now work alongside many MDefenders in different offices across the Colorado system.
What other defender offices have you worked at in the past?
I interned at the Office of the State Public Defender in New Orleans, Louisiana, after my 1L year. I interned in Dillon, Colorado, with the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office after my 2L year.
Why did you enroll in the Public Defender Training Institute?
I enrolled in PDTI because I was terrified of becoming a trial-level public defender! I didn’t think I had the right personality or demeanor to appear in court, argue with a judge, and perform in front of a jury. That’s a common fear I hear from a lot of people who are deterred from even attempting the job. I wanted to see if this was a job I could actually do even when I knew I wouldn’t be able to show up in court like Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinny every day.
How has the Public Defender Training Institute helped you in your career?
Every office I have interviewed at has been extremely impressed that this training institute exists. PDTI taught me, without any form of judgment at any step of the way, practical skills ranging from the stages of a criminal case to keeping your cases organized. It helped give me the confidence to approach this job in my own way.