Nicole Smith Futrell

Nicole Smith Futrell is an Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Defenders Clinic at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law, where she and her students represent clients in a variety of defense-related cases such as, state court misdemeanor matters, clemency and parole petitions, school suspension hearings, and conviction sealing applications. Prior to joining the faculty, Professor Smith Futrell was a staff attorney in the Criminal Defense Practice of the Bronx Defenders, where she litigated misdemeanor and felony cases and conducted criminal law trainings for new attorneys and local community groups. She has also worked as an advisor in the Center for Public Interest Law at Columbia University Law School. Professor Smith Futrell’s scholarship, which has been featured in both academic and popular publications, analyzes the relationship between social justice movements and the reform of criminal law and policy. She chairs the Law School Engagement Committee of the Black Public Defenders Association and serves on the Corrections Committee of the New York City Bar Association. Professor Smith Futrell holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University.