Dr. Dehlia Umunna

Biography

Dehlia Umunna is a Clinical Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and serves as the Faculty Director at the Harvard Criminal Justice Institute. Her teaching and research focus on areas including criminal law, criminal defense theory, policing, mass incarceration, and race issues. Umunna has been a core faculty member of Gideon's Promise and frequently presents at public defender training conferences. Joining Harvard Law in 2007 as a clinical instructor, she became Deputy Director in 2013 and was appointed Faculty Clinical Professor of Law in 2015. In 2024, she was appointed the Director of the Criminal Justice Institute, furthering her impactful career. She supervises law students in representing clients in criminal proceedings and has led numerous successful trial advocacy teams. Prior to her tenure at Harvard, Umunna was a trial attorney with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. As an adjunct professor, she has taught at American University’s Washington College of Law. Umunna holds a J.D. from George Washington University Law School and a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School. She has contributed to the development of the Uniform Bar Exam and was appointed to the Massachusetts Advisory Committee on Judicial Nominations. Umunna's insights on legal representation have been highlighted in various media, and she continues to be an influential figure in law and education.

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