The Angel of Death Row: An Interview with Andrea Lyon episode artwork

EPISODE · May 11, 2025 · 52 MIN

The Angel of Death Row: An Interview with Andrea Lyon

from The Podvocate · host The Podvocate by Loyola University Chicago School of Law

Andrea Lyon is a criminal defense lawyer, author, speaker, professor and former law school dean. Dubbed “The Angel of Death Row” by the Chicago Tribune, she was the first woman to serve as lead attorney in a death penalty case, and she holds an unparalleled 19 wins in 19 capital cases. Andrea’s publications include over fifty law review articles, over ten practice manuals and books focused on her career and social justice in America. Katie sat down with Andrea to talk about her remarkable career, the challenges she faced in her early work, some advice for managing high-profile cases, and her enduring belief in the power of redemption. Resources: Andrea Lyon profile at Lyon & Kerr: https://www.lyonkerr.com/andrea-lyon/ Select publications by Andrea Lyon: Angel of Death Row: My Life as a Death Penalty Defense Lawyer: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6933361-angel-of-death-row Fixing Legal Injustice in America: The Case for a Defender General of the United States: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538164662/Fixing-Legal-Injustice-in-America-The-Case-for-a-Defender-General-of-the-United-States Additional Resources: John Conroy’s “House of Screams”, the 1990 Chicago Reader coverage of Jon Burge and the Area 2 police: https://chicagoreader.com/news/house-of-screams/

Andrea Lyon is a criminal defense lawyer, author, speaker, professor and former law school dean. Dubbed “The Angel of Death Row” by the Chicago Tribune, she was the first woman to serve as lead attorney in a death penalty case, and she holds an unparalleled 19 wins in 19 capital cases. Andrea’s publications include over fifty law review articles, over ten practice manuals and books focused on her career and social justice in America. Katie sat down with Andrea to talk about her remarkable career, the challenges she faced in her early work, some advice for managing high-profile cases, and her enduring belief in the power of redemption. Resources: Andrea Lyon profile at Lyon & Kerr: https://www.lyonkerr.com/andrea-lyon/ Select publications by Andrea Lyon: Angel of Death Row: My Life as a Death Penalty Defense Lawyer: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6933361-angel-of-death-row Fixing Legal Injustice in America: The Case for a Defender General of the United States: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538164662/Fixing-Legal-Injustice-in-America-The-Case-for-a-Defender-General-of-the-United-States Additional Resources: John Conroy’s “House of Screams”, the 1990 Chicago Reader coverage of Jon Burge and the Area 2 police: https://chicagoreader.com/news/house-of-screams/

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The Angel of Death Row: An Interview with Andrea Lyon

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Andrea Lyon is a criminal defense lawyer, author, speaker, professor and former law school dean. Dubbed “The Angel of Death Row” by the Chicago Tribune, she was the first woman to serve as lead attorney in a death penalty case, and she holds an...

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