ROBERT W. BIGELOW

Founding partner Robert W. Bigelow is former Senior Supervising Attorney of the Legal Aid Society-Criminal Defense Division in New York City.  Prior to serving as a Supervising Attorney (2001-2005), he was a trial attorney in the Bronx, NY office (1993-2001).  Robert is also a regular guest on CourtTV’s “Both Sides” where he has given legal analysis and commentary on cases ranging from the accusation of child molestation against Michael Jackson to the “Freeway Sniper” case in Ohio.  He has also appeared on CourtTV’s “Trial Heat”.

In addition to his extensive trial experience, Robert has taught at Cardozo Law School’s Intensive Trial Advocacy Program 2005 and New York Law School as an Adjunct Professor in the Criminal Law Clinic, 2003-2004.  He currently teaches a course he wrote and developed for Capella University. The course entitled “Legal Systems, Labor Relations and Regulatory Practices”  is in employment law class for Ph.D. candidates in Capella’s Business School.

Robert is the author of “A Broad Practical and Theoretical Approach to Trial Preparation: Five Tips for New Attorneys” which was a feature article in the New York Criminal Law Newsletter (NYSBA: summer 2004 edition).  He has also co-authored an article with attorney/author Kweku Vanderpuye entitled “The Vienna Convention and the Defense of Noncitizens in New York: A Matter of Form and Substance” which will be published in Vol 18 of the Pace International Law Review in 2006.  He also had a non-legal related article published in the journal, Baseball in the Buckeye State (SABR, 2004) and is a contributing author (“Barney Pelty” with Christopher Williams) to the forthcoming book Deadball Stars of the American League (Potomac Books, 2006).

Robert attended Georgetown University Law Center (J.D. 1993) and studied at the undergraduate level at UCLA and the University of New Mexico (B.A. w/dist., 1990).

SHANTI NARRA

Founding partner, Shanti Narra is a former Supervising Attorney of the Legal Aid Society-Criminal Defense Division in New York City. In her supervisory role, Shanti managed twenty-four staff attorneys as well as maintained her own caseload of serious violent felony cases. Prior to serving as a Supervising Attorney, she was herself a staff attorney with considerable trial experience.

In addition to her extensive trial experience, Shanti has devoted much of her career to teaching. She was the Training Supervisor for the Manhattan Office of the Criminal Defense Division. In that role, she developed and implemented continuing education programs for the staff attorneys. She was also responsible for organizing and implementing an annual Trial Advocacy Program for the junior staff attorneys.

Shanti attended the Georgetown University Law Center where she received her J.D. in 1992. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in 1989 majoring in International Law and minoring in Asian Studies.

Shanti was born in Hyderabad, India and immigrated to the U.S. as a young child. She was raised in North Brunswick, New Jersey and continues to make New Jersey her home.

PATRICIA M. SWEENEY

Ms. Patricia M. Sweeney is of counsel to Bigelow & Narra, LLC and specializes in workers compensation, social security, disability and criminal defense.  Ms. Sweeney is a former Assistant District Attorney with the Office of the Bronx District Attorney (1993-2000).  She excelled as a prosecutor in both the Sex Crimes/Domestic Violence Bureau and also the Narcotics Bureau.  In private practice, she has experience working for both law firms and corporations in most practice areas and was in-house counsel for an internet provider serving the global hedge fund industry.

Patricia attended Pace University School of Law (JD 1993) and has a BA in economics from Fordham University (1990)