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Susan W. McGraugh, J.D.

Professor; Director, Criminal Defense Clinic
Legal Clinics
Center for International and Comparative Law


Courses Taught

Client Counseling, Criminal Defense Advocacy, Criminal Defense Clinic, Death Penalty Seminar, Externship Clinic, Lawyering Practice, Trial Ad II

Education

B.A., Drake University, 1985
J.D., Washington University in St. 浪花直播 School of Law, 1988

Practice Areas

Criminal Law

Publications and Media Placements

Community Work and Service

Susan McGraugh was the only one of her classmates to practice criminal law upon graduation. She spent two years at a small firm before joining the Missouri State Public Defender's Office in St. 浪花直播 in 1990.

She served as a trial attorney representing indigent, homeless and mentally ill clients charged with criminal offenses. She also worked in the Office鈥檚 Capital Defense Unit. Professor McGraugh wrote and argued criminal appeals in the Eastern, Western and Southern Districts of Missouri.

After eight years with the Public Defender鈥檚 Office, she joined Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and created the Legal Services Clinic at St. Patrick鈥檚 Center, a resource agency for homeless individuals and families 鈥 in particular those with mental illnesses and chemical dependencies. In 1999, Professor McGraugh continued her policy and advocacy work with the St. 浪花直播 Archdiocesan Human Rights Office as director of its Restorative Justice Program. In that capacity, she advocated for the end of the death penalty and helped with the drafting and passage of legislation prohibiting the execution of criminal defendants with mental disabilities. Concurrently, she served as a provisional municipal judge in St. 浪花直播 city.

鈥淚鈥檝e learned there are a lot of gaps in representation,鈥 Professor McGraugh says. 鈥淧ublic defenders represent people charged with felonies and misdemeanors but every day someone with a municipal violation goes to jail without benefit of an attorney. I鈥檓 very interested in seeing access to counsel for all people.鈥

Professor McGraugh joined Saint 浪花直播 University School of Law in 2002 as an adjunct clinical professor while working with the Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry on a program to help incarcerated mothers with custodial issues.

Since joining the School of Law full time in 2003, Professor McGraugh has directed the Criminal Defense Clinic鈥檚 intern and externships. She is also networking with mental health care providers to offer representation to their clients.

鈥淗ow great is it to have a job that allows me to take any pro bono case I want?鈥 says Professor McGraugh. 鈥淚 can find people or groups of people that need my help and take their cases. I can network with agencies on issues I feel strongly about. And, I can teach young attorneys how to care about these people, which satisfies the part of me that seeks social justice.鈥