Mani graduated in 2004 from Harvard Law School, where she studied under Stephen Bright and Charles Ogletree.  She interned at U.S. Attorneys’ offices in Boston and Washington, D.C., and the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.

After moving to North Carolina to become a law fellow at the Fair Trial Initiative in Durham, she assisted trial counsel defending death penalty cases at the trial level.  These cases included State v. Jonathon Hoffman, which resulted in all charges dropped after Mr. Hoffman spent 7 years on death row, and State v. James Johnson, who was freed after being jailed for over three years facing capital murder charges.  Mani worked with Amos Tyndall and Kirk Osborn during State v. Jerry Stuart, where the jury rejected the state’s plea for the death penalty and sentenced Mr. Stuart to life in prison.  While an FTI law fellow, Mani also represented clients charged with misdemeanors in Durham County.

From 2006 to 2010, Mani served as an assistant public defender in Orange and Chatham counties.  Representing several thousand indigent clients charged with misdemeanors and felonies, she won jury trials and developed an outstanding courtroom reputation, especially for her extensive research and trial preparation while trying hundreds of DWI cases.  Her tenacious advocacy skills and tireless work ethic underscore her commitment to provide the highest quality representation possible for her clients.