Derek Archambault

The first step of my legal career was unexpectedly being chosen for the starring role in a third-grade dental health awareness skit.  This led me down a path of public speaking and oratory that naturally landed me in a courtroom.  Handling criminal cases in court can feel a lot like being on stage, but with an added intellectual component – it’s almost like playing trivia while on stage. But criminal law is not a game.  The consequences are real, and the impact on people’s lives is very real too.  I take care never to lose sight of that fact. B.A., University of St. Thomas – 2006 Double major in political science and communication studies J.D., University of St. Thomas School of Law – 2009 Recognized as top student in my classes on advanced trial advocacy and domestic violence I never expected to be called to work in criminal defense.  For many years I found work as a prosecutor fulfilling.  But over time that changed.  Rather than making a difference, I was a cog in the machine.  Cases stopped feeling like people and became names on paper.   And I realized that often the true difference makers in the system are the defense attorneys.