By Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma
The Law Office of Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma is pleased to announce that Teresa McNamara has joined our office as the new Director of Marketing.
Teresa, an accomplished actor, will work with us while still pursuing her acting career. Her experience in social media and writing, combined with a creative mindset, will help increase our presence while ensuring all clients receive the attention they deserve. With a background in customer service, Teresa is also positioned to assist us in ensuring that the office runs smoothly to meet client needs.
Teresa holds a B.A in Production Studies from Clemson University, and an M.F.A in Acting from The Catholic University of America. She hails from South Carolina and has been a proud New Yorker for the past five years. She can be reached at [email protected].
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In order to familiarize herself with the office, Teresa sat down for a Q&A with principal attorney Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma.
Teresa:What is the most exciting aspect of your job?
Zach:The best moments in my job come when I see a client succeed, whether that means obtaining an acquittal, reversing a conviction, or watching a younger client thrive in a job or renew a relationship despite having to face the cruelties of our justice system. There are also quieter moments that get my heart pumping: spending long hours looking at documents to find the contradiction that disproves the government’s case or meeting the witness who finally admits he or she was pressured into giving false testimony. Those moments are special because they lead to the first kind, to clients’ success.
T:Top three proudest moments in your career (so far…)?
Z:On January 6, 2014, Antonio Yarbough was exonerated, uncuffed, and walked out of Brooklyn Supreme Court a free man after 21 years and seven months of wrongful incarceration. On December 30, 2019, Felipe Rodriguez was exonerated, almost three years after being granted clemency by Governor Cuomo. And in the summer of 2015, the Second Circuit ruled that any sex abuse of prisoners was an actionable violation of the Eighth Amendment, overturning dozens of district court cases that had dismissed valid prisoners’ claims.
T:What drew you to criminal defense?
Z:As Amerigo Bonasera said, I believe in America. I believe in freedom. I am drawn to criminal defense because it provides an opportunity to attack entrenched power structures and ways of thinking. The best thing about being a criminal defense lawyer is that you wake up every morning and say to yourself, how can I make my clients more free today?
T:Top advice when seeking a defense attorney?
Z:Get someone who listens to you. All the big decisions are supposed to be made by the client. You need someone you can be open and honest with because you are confident they will fight their hardest for you and they know what they are doing.
T:Talk to me about the office – what makes you want to work with someone? What are the greatest strengths of your team?
Z:The most important qualities in the people I work with — both in my office and lawyers and experts I bring into complex cases — are their empathy for our clients and their passion for helping them solve their legal problems. Someone can have brilliant credentials, but they are no use to me unless they care about the work we are doing.