He received his BS from Cornell University and J.D. from the University of Michigan. Since 1994, he has been a Federal Defender in the Southern District of New York, representing clients in both district court and the Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. Prior to that he was Attorney-in Charge of the Criminal Appeals Bureau of the Legal Aid Society of N.Y., which provided primary representation on NY State appeals. He has been on many bar association committees and taught CLE causes on various subjects.