The Criminal Law Association hosted a lunchtime presentation on March 22 featuring Assistant Federal Public Defender and '93 UDSL alumna Cheryll Bennett and Investigator Kimberlee Gray, both from the Federal Public Defender's Office for the Southern District of Ohio. 

Bennett has been one of three attorneys working at the federal office since 1999. Her clients are court-appointed people who are charged with criminal crimes and cannot afford legal representation.

“We are trying to give the government all the information they need to uphold justice and support the charges they make,” she said of her job.

Gray has been an investigator for 20 years. She is the only investigator in the federal office and her main duties are to gather evidence, interview, and help Bennett to prepare for trial and decide whether or not to make a plea deal.

Bennett emphasized repeatedly how valuable Gray’s work is to the office. “A defender is bordering on insanity and malpractice to go into criminal defense work without an investigator,” she said.

She also cited several times when Gray was able to talk with clients and have them agree to plead when she could not.

“The biggest challenge in the public defender’s office is dealing with the clients because you get such a wide variety of people,” Gray said.

“But you also find people who want your help and, but for you, they wouldn’t know what to do,” Bennett added. She felt that the most difficult aspect of working as a public defender is not being privy to the prosecution’s list of witnesses prior to trial. She also said this is one of the reasons that Gray’s work is so important.

Bennett answered student questions about the work culture in the office positively. She said that the typical work week is about 40 hours; a starting salary is around $50K, that on average she will handle 4-5 cases at a time, and that the government community does socialize together. “It’s a fun job. Dayton is a nice place to work,” she said.

She welcomed interested students to pursue the office as an externship or internship possibility, adding that one of the perks of the experience is that interns are able to try misdemeanors before magistrate judges. 

“Having articulate speakers with real world experience like Cheryll Bennett and Kimberlee Gray is invaluable to law students, many of whom have very limited work experience,” said Angela Fox, president of CLA. “The Criminal Law Association hopes to continue and increase the hosting of guest speakers for the benefit of students.”