Resume

• 1999

  District of Massachusetts Federal Defender Office

  Parrett

  Porto

  Parese & Colwell PC

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law

  Chapel Hill

  NC

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law

  Parrett

  Porto

  Parese & Colwell PC

  Hamden

  CT

  For over twenty-five years

  Tamar R. Birckhead has represented individuals charged with criminal offenses in the state and federal court systems at the trial and appellate levels. While she currently practices in Connecticut

  Tamar is also licensed in Massachusetts

  New York

  and North Carolina. Tamar has defended clients in a wide variety of criminal cases—from felonies in state court to alleged acts of terrorism in federal court. Among her clients was Richard Reid

  the attempted “Shoe Bomber” prosecuted in the First Circuit under the U.S.A. Patriot Act. Tamar regularly appears in the Meriden

  Manchester

  Middletown

  Milford

  New Haven

  New London

  and Waterbury courts

  although she handles cases throughout Connecticut. Tamar also frequently represents middle

  high school

  and college students accused of violating their school’s code of conduct

  which can result in suspension or expulsion as well as the initiation of criminal prosecution that arises from the same conduct. A cum laude graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School

  Tamar taught for twelve years as a tenured law professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law. She has also taught at Duke Law School and most recently at Yale Law School. Tamar is the author of more than a dozen law review articles on topics related to criminal defense as well as an editor and contributor to several juvenile justice-related books. She has written opinion pieces for major publications

  and has provided legal commentary on the challenges of defending criminal suspects for CNN

  Fox News

  and the Wall Street Journal

  among many other media outlets. Tamar prides herself on the close

  collaborative working relationships she has with her clients. She understands that facing criminal charges can be a frightening experience

  and she views herself as a counselor as well as a legal practitioner. Tamar lives with her husband and their two teenage daughters in Guilford.

  Senior Associate Attorney

  Boston

  Massachusetts

  District of Massachusetts Federal Defender Office

• 1989

  Associate Attorney

  Parrett

  Porto

  Parese & Colwell PC

  Doctor of Law - JD

  Harvard Law School

• 1983

  Bachelor's degree

  Yale University

• Tamar R. Birckhead

  For the past twenty-five years

  Tamar R. Birckhead has represented individuals charged with criminal offenses in the state and federal court systems at the trial and appellate levels.  Licensed to practice in Connecticut

  Massachusetts

  New York

  and...

  Tamar R. Birckhead

  Legal Writing

  Client Counseling

  Litigation

  oral advocacy

  Community Outreach

  Legal Research

  Client Development

  Westlaw

  Client Relations

  BIRCKHEAD

  BIRCKHEAD

  Parrett

  Porto

  Parese & Colwell PC