If you have enjoyed books by authors such as Scott Turrow and John Grisham, you’ll love today’s interview.

My guest is Alexandra Shapiro. She is a former federal prosecutor with nearly 30 years of experience, and co-founder of Shapiro Arato Bach LLP, a prominent New York litigation boutique. She has argued in the Supreme Court, won numerous appeals resulting in the exoneration of previously convicted criminal defendants, served as President of the New York Council of Defense Lawyers, and handled many high-profile cases.

Fun fact: Alexandra was one of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s first clerks on the Supreme Court.

Alexandra is the author of the new legal thriller Presumed Guilty, which is based on her real-life experiences on both sides of criminal cases. The novel depicts how prosecutors, because of their motivations and mistakes, can at times destroy lives and promote unjust results.

Alexandra walks us through her process of structuring and writing a legal thriller while also being a wife and mother, and staying active in her full-time job. She also gives us insights into what she wanted to accomplish in a novel that she couldn’t do through nonfiction.