Brandeis student reflects on murder trial experience

Brandeis School of Law student Madison Shoffner (3L) spent most of the fall semester sitting second chair on a local murder trial. Shoffner, who is originally from Eastern Kentucky, was given the rare opportunity after she received her limited practice license while working for the Commonwealth Attorney’s office as both a law clerk and extern.

Criminal law is something Shoffner knew she wanted to pursue coming into law school (she studied political science and marketing as an undergrad at UK). She first gravitated toward felony prosecution when she worked for the Commonwealth’s Attorney in Fayette County.

“I was an intern for Judge (McKay) Chauvin during the summer between my first and second year in law school. Through that experience, I could see the Commonwealth’s attorneys in action and met several of them. In the winter of my 2L year, there was an opening at the Commonwealth Attorney’s office for a law clerk position and I was lucky enough to be hired as one of the three,” Shoffner said. “I was extremely excited.”

The position allowed her to learn the inner workings of the office and provide her with more background of what a prosecutor does on a day-to-day basis. She said it was a good way to get her feet wet.

It also acquainted her with Assistant Commonwealth's AttorneyChris Foster, who was Shoffner’s field supervisor and who invited the student to sit second chair on the trial.

“Luckily, because I was already a law clerk in the office, I had developed some relationships and done some work for several prosecutors before becoming an extern with a limited law license. Chris came to me with this opportunity and it was awesome to know she trusted me and had confidence in my work to ask me to help,” Shoffner said.

The murder case was originally set to go to trial on Sept. 12, but it was continued because of outstanding lab results. Shoffner worked with the prosecutor’s team, researching evidentiary issues, developing relationships with the victim’s family, conducting witness interviews and participating in witness prep meetings. During the trial, she even got to deliver the opening statement.

“I was very nervous, but as soon as I was done, I wanted to go again,” Shoffner said. She credits her mock trial experience at Brandeis for preparing her for trial.

The case was tried the last week in October and the defendant was acquitted. Shoffner said the verdict didn’t go their way because they didn’t have any physical evidence to help their case.

Still, the experience solidified her ambitions.

“I struggled for days after the verdict. You’re pouring your heart and soul into this case for the victim and her family and for justice,” Shoffner said. “But the experience lit a fire for me. I will do everything I can to help bring justice for victims that I work with.”