Archana has served as a public defender in New York City since 2005, practicing at both the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem and The Bronx Defenders. Over the course of her career, she has worked as a staff attorney, supervisor, and manager, and she specializes in representing clients charged with homicides and other serious felonies. She has tried a wide range of cases - from homicides to violations - and has advocated for thousands of clients across New York City.
Archana is a faculty member at the National Criminal Defense College and the New York State Defender Basic Trial Skills Program, and regularly teaches at trial training programs for public defenders across the country. She also spent three months in Palestine with the International Legal Foundation, where she trained and mentored public defenders.
Before becoming a public defender, Archana spent two years litigating civil claims related to wrongful convictions. She clerked for the Honorable Myron H. Thompson in the Middle District of Alabama. She holds a J.D. from Columbia Law School and a B.A. from Cornell University.