I was born in Moscow Russia and has lived in Boston area since 1993. I graduated from New England School of Law (now New England Law/Boston) first in myclass in 2006. I  went on to work for Massachusetts Probate and Family Court, assisting its judges in researching and writing their decisions.  After finishing my work for the court, I have been working in private legal sector, representing clients in federal and state courts all over Massachusetts. 

    In 2007, while walking through Boston Commons, I saw a teenager being arrested by Boston police.  After I took out my cell phone and recorded the arrest, I was myself arrested and charged with felony of “illegal wiretap”.  This arrest was a vindictive attempt by some unscrupulous cops to suppress citizens’ right to record, observe and comment on police actions. The arrest was condemned by civil rights organizations and press and the case was summarily thrown out by the judge. Since then, Boston Police has changed the ways it trains its officers on cell phone recordings.