Martin J. LaFalce

Martin J. LaFalce is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Legal Education and Director of the Defense and Advocacy Clinic at St. John’s School of Law. He joined the faculty full-time in 2022 after 14 years as a public defender at the Legal Aid Society. His career includes impactful litigation, including challenging New York’s parole review procedures and repealing the state’s discriminatory gravity knife law. He coordinates legislative reform efforts with NYC and state legislatures, focusing on criminal justice policy.

Education: J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and B.A. from Georgetown University. His research emphasizes criminal justice reform, legal advocacy strategies, and systemic inequities in the criminal legal system.

Teaching focuses on criminal law and procedure, building on his adjunct experience (2018, 2020). He leads the Defense and Advocacy Clinic, providing hands-on legal training to students while advocating for marginalized communities.