Chalon Young Pfeifer

Chalon Young Pfeifer is a Professor of Practice at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, serving as Co-Director of the Pitt Law School Externship Program. She specializes in merging criminal defense litigation theory with practice, having over 20 years of experience in criminal defense, including hundreds of jury trials in violent crimes, homicide, and major crimes. She co-founded the State Defense Practicum, partnering with the Allegheny County Office of the Public Defender to offer students real-world legal experience.

Her education includes a JD from Tulane University and a BA from West Virginia Wesleyan College. She is Board Certified in Criminal Trials (Florida) and completed specialized training in investigative interviewing via the Reid Institute. Admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Florida, and multiple federal districts, she also serves as a court-appointed attorney on the CJA Panel for federal indigent defense cases.

Research interests include criminal interrogation, the intersection of absurdism and criminal justice, psychology of violent offenders, and philosophy of crime and punishment. She has presented widely, including at the Mid-Atlantic Consortium of Law School Externship Programs and the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics. Her recent media engagements address high-profile criminal cases and systemic issues in criminal justice.

Professional development focuses on mentorship and externship supervision, reflected in her leadership of internship programs at the Allegheny County Public Defender’s Office and teaching roles at Columbia College.