Ryan McCartney has practiced as a criminal defense attorney since graduating from Harvard Law School in 2018. She brings her passion for standing beside clients as they navigate the most challenging moments of their lives to Bozorgi Law PLLC.

Ryan began her career as an Assistant Public Defender in Hillsborough County before joining the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office in 2021. As a public defender, she handled a wide range of cases—from misdemeanors to homicides—and tried more than twenty jury trials to verdict. She also litigated post-conviction matters and successfully secured the release of a Miller-Graham re-sentencing recipient at his 25-year review pursuant to Section 921.1402(2)(b) of the Florida Statutes.

Since joining Bozorgi Law, Ryan has expanded her practice to include complex white-collar and general criminal defense in both federal and state court. She works closely with the firm’s partners on case strategy and trial preparation, applying her courtroom experience to fact development, motion practice, and witness preparation. Ryan’s combination of trial experience, analytical skill, and client-centered approach makes her an integral part of the firm’s collaborative team.

In 2022, Ryan was recognized by the Miami Chapter of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL) with the Gregg Wenzel Outstanding Young Lawyer’s Award. That same year, she was one of four lawyers selected for a U.S. Department of State deployment to the country of Georgia, where she helped strengthen the Georgian criminal defense bar and support the nation’s transition to a jury system. While abroad, she co-facilitated intensive trial-skills trainings for attorneys in Tbilisi and Batumi.

While at Harvard Law School, Ryan served as a student attorney in the Veterans Law and Disability Benefits Clinic, where she represented low-income veterans appealing the improper denial of benefits. Her advocacy led to a favorable ruling in the Massachusetts Superior Court on behalf of three named plaintiffs and a proposed class of approximately 4,000 combat veterans, after the court found the agency’s interpretation “erroneous as a matter of law, arbitrary, and capricious.”

EDUCATION

• B.A., Summa Cum Laude, Simmons University (2015)

• J.D., Harvard Law School (2018)

ADMISSIONS

• Florida

• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida

• Mentee, Criminal Justice Act (CJA), Southern District of Florida

• Private Court Appointed Counsel (PCAC), Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida

ASSOCIATIONS

• Florida Bar, Criminal Law Section

• American Bar Association (ABA), Criminal Justice Section

• Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA), Member

• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), Member

• Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL), Member