Rosemarie Pena-Lynch
Director
Office of Public Defense Services
is a capital defense attorney with the Office of the Legal Advocate, and has been with the office since 2008. Ms. Pena-Lynch prides herself on providing quality representation to clients whose lives are on the line. She is an experienced litigator who has tried numerous jury trials in both Arizona and New York. Ms. Pena-Lynch started her legal career as a law clerk at Davis Polk and Wardwell in New York City, while attending St. John’s School of Law. After graduating she continued working as a member of Davis Polk’s litigation team. In addition, she also spent countless hours representing pro bono clients. In recognition of her superb representation of and commitment to pro bono clients, Ms. Pena-Lynch received the Legal Aid Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Service. As satisfying as that litigation experience was, Ms. Pena-Lynch had always known that she wanted to be a criminal attorney and in 1999 she began working for the Criminal Division of the New York City Legal Aid Society. Ms. Pena-Lynch realized that she had found the right career path and quickly progressed to handle all level of felony cases.
After having her first child, Ms. Pena-Lynch and her family moved to Arizona. After settling in, Ms. Pena-Lynch began working with the Office of the Legal Advocate and continues there to this day, having progressed from handling serious felony cases to qualifying and being appointed to serve as first chair in capital cases. Ms. Pena-Lynch is passionate about the work she does and welcomes any opportunity to talk to others about her life’s work. Ms. Pena-Lynch has been admitted to the practice of law in New York, New Jersey and Arizona.
When Ms. Pena-Lynch isn’t representing defendants facing the death penalty, she remains involved in the community. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Maricopa Chapter of the Arizona Women Lawyer’s Association; serves as a member of the State Board of Directors for the Arizona Women Lawyers Association; and is an adjunct professor at Arizona Summit Law School. Ms. Pena-Lynch finds it gratifying to mentor law students and new attorneys and does so in all aspects of her professional life. Ms. Pena-Lynch also helps to coordinate the internship program in the Office of the Legal Advocate, volunteers as a judge and mentor for mock trial competitions and has served as a faculty member for the State Bar of Arizona’s College of Trial Advocacy. (11/2014)