Professor Stephen Braga, who first taught at the University of Virginia School of Law in 2011, will offer Taking Effective Depositions in addition to directing the Appellate Litigation Clinic next year. Prior to joining the Law School full-time in 2013, Braga represented clients in criminal and civil matters before trial and appellate courts across the country for more than three decades.
Where are you from originally?
I am originally from Newport, Rhode Island.
What is your favorite memory of law school?
My now favorite, then terrifying, memory of law school is my first day of Contracts class as a 1L when my professor was teaching Hawkins v. McGee — an infamous case about a “hairy hand” — and he decided to toss a fake hairy hand out into the classroom where it landed on my desk. Yikes!
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was a kid I wanted to grow up to be the starting second baseman for the Boston Red Sox. I still do.
What’s your proudest accomplishment?
My proudest accomplishment is freeing young men from decades of incarceration as a result of wrongful convictions. I have been blessed to achieve that twice: in the Marty Tankleff and the West Memphis Three cases. (More)
Which UVA Law class would you most like to take?
I would like to take Professor Anne Coughlin’s Criminal Investigations class, so I could learn more from my former associate in private practice.
What’s your favorite spot in Charlottesville?
My favorite spot in Charlottesville is the nearby Sedona Tap House. Everyone needs a time and place to wind down, right?
Founded in 1819, the University of Virginia School of Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the nation. Consistently ranked among the top law schools, Virginia is a world-renowned training ground for distinguished lawyers and public servants, instilling in them a commitment to leadership, integrity and community service.
