Keshini Ratnayake: Representing the Underserved
Keshini Ratnayake '04 (Photo by Mark Brown)
Keshini Ratnayake ’04 has represented hundreds – maybe even thousands – of individuals in the decade she has served as a public defender. Some individuals, though, stand out.
Ratnayake remembers a client who had been charged with burglary. The man, who has a developmental delay, had entered a home during a schizophrenic episode. With a lengthy conviction history and sentencing guidelines, he faced a five-year prison sentence. Ratnayake worked with colleagues throughout Hennepin County to create a detailed probation plan that included disability services, adult foster care and more.
The judge agreed that it was time to stop throwing this man back into prison. He was released and placed on probation.
“I’m thrilled to report that he’s doing really well. He has almost completed his five years of probation and has remained law-abiding,” Ratnayake said. “He still calls me from time to time to let me know how he’s doing.”
Ratnayake’s interest in being a public defender came directly from her experience at UST School of Law. When she was a 1L, a criminal justice person spoke in her criminal law class. “I didn’t like the way he talked about people’s constitutional rights. He was cavalier and seemed to liken them to inconvenient technicalities,” she said. “I decided immediately that I would dedicate my life to pushing against that kind of thinking. It’s exhausting, frustrating, heartbreaking, challenging, thrilling and endlessly rewarding, all at the same time.”
Getting there wasn’t easy. Minnesota was in the midst of a hiring freeze for public defenders when Ratnayake graduated in 2004, so she knew she’d have to leave the state. She ended up in New Mexico for a time, but her family was in Minnesota, so when the hiring freeze was lifted she returned to Hennepin County as an assistant public defender.
And she’s in it for the long haul. Despite the job’s high potential for burnout, Ratnayake still sees herself as a public defender 10 years from now. And for those in Hennepin County in need of representation, that’s very good news.
