Ieshaah Murphy

Ieshaah Murphy is an Assistant Professor of Law and Director of the Criminal Defense and Racial Justice Clinic at the University of the District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of Law (UDC Law). Prior to joining UDC Law, Ieshaah practiced as a civil rights attorney and public defender. Most recently, she was a senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Maryland, focusing on racial justice. Before the ACLU, Ieshaah worked as a trial attorney at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS), where she represented hundreds of indigent children and adults charged with serious offenses. While at PDS, she supervised attorneys and co-founded the agency’s annual week-long defender training program for law students from historically excluded communities. Ieshaah frequently trains lawyers and law students on various topics related to criminal defense, racial justice, and trial advocacy. Ieshaah is a founding member and certified race trainer for the Black Public Defender Association (BPDA), where she develops and leads race equity trainings at defender offices around the country. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Ieshaah is a graduate of Spelman College and Harvard Law School.