Professor Andrea Lyon recounts her work, success as death penalty defense attorney in new book

Criminal defense attorney and professor of law Andrea Lyon has tried more than 130 homicide cases and has defended more than 30 potential capital cases. In the 19 cases where her clients were found guilty of murder, she argued to have their lives spared and she won, all 19 times.

From the onset of her career at the Cook County Public Defenders’ Office to earning a national reputation as a death penalty defense expert, Professor Lyon has defended those accused of heinous acts and argued that, no matter their guilt or innocence, they deserved a chance at redemption. For this work, the Chicago Tribune has called her the “angel of death row.”

In her new book, "Angel of Death Row: My Life as a Death Penalty Defense Lawyer" (Kaplan Publishing 2010), Professor Lyon offers an inside look at what drives her to defend those who seem indefensible—and to win.