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Miranda Thompson had a deep interest in prosecutorial misconduct and state constitutional law, and she had the opportunity to do extensive research on these topics in her role as editor-in-chief of the Widener Law Review. That research – done in partnership with a respected professor – landed her in front of an important national audience as a legal presenter. 

The third-year law student at Widener University Commonwealth Law School, presented alongside Quinn Yeargain, who formerly taught at Widener Law Commonwealth, at the Association of American Law Schools’ annual meeting. Known as AALS, the distinguished event draws deans and faculty from hundreds of the nation’s law schools. It was held recently in San Francisco.

“This was the most incredible opportunity of my academic career and one I never could have dreamed of,” Thompson said. “I was so incredibly nervous, and I was objectively out of my element. But everyone was so welcoming and supportive, and it gave me an opportunity to be part of a discussion in sharing so many new and interesting ideas.”

Thompson presented "A State Constitutional Right to the Effective Assistance of Counsel," at an event panel focused on research into criminal procedure. The article––which delves into a proposal to “recalibrate” the test arising from Strickland v. Washington through analyzing state-specific approaches to ineffective assistance of counsel––was selected through a competitive, blind review process.

“The panel was looking for ‘groundbreaking works-in-progress in the field of criminal procedure,’” Thompson said. “We were selected based on an abstract we provided for our paper, and I’m incredibly honored to have been chosen.”

This marked Thompson's first experience presenting at a legal conference, a milestone that Dean andré douglas pond cummings described as extraordinary.

"It is considered an honor for a law professor to be selected to present," cummings said. "For a student to present at AALS is rare. I am not aware of very many students who have ever presented because they are not addressing a lay audience—they are presenting to law professors, experts in their fields."

Thompson’s research stems from her deep interest in prosecutorial misconduct and state constitutional law, both topics she explored during her work with the law review. She began looking at rights to counsel through the lens of state constitutional interpretations.

“I wanted to explore whether this could allow defendants to bring claims against prosecutors whose misconduct deprived them of a defense,” she said.

Yeargain, who now teaches at Michigan State University College of Law, served as Thompson’s mentor and co-author. They had her in class and also worked with her through the law review. “I was impressed by her research skills, strength as a writer, and enthusiasm for scholarship,” Yeargain said.

When Thompson approached Yeargain about partnering on an article about ways state courts have protected defendants’ rights to effective assistance of counsel differently than the U.S. Supreme Court, the professor agreed.
“We collaborated on the structure, focus, and arguments of the piece, and divided up the research and writing assignments based on our own interests,” Yeargain said. Neither of them knew then it their work would lead to AALS and San Francisco.

Thompson described the opportunity to present alongside Yeargain as “surreal” and deeply meaningful. “They have been such a source of inspiration in overcoming challenges and pursuing my aspirations. It felt like a culmination of something I never could have dreamed of accomplishing.”

Yeargain highlighted the value of Thompson’s work.

“Miranda’s interest in exploring these rights and making innovative arguments is incredibly important—and will be of huge significance for lawyers, advocates, and judges,” they said, adding Thompson was outstanding at AALS. “Several people she met during the conference told me that if they hadn’t known she was a student, they would’ve thought that she was an early-in-career professor.”