Things were not going well for Donald Trump's lawyers in the former president's civil fraud trial.
.jpg)
Trump had just concluded a day of testimony that he had peppered with caustic attacks on Judge Arthur Engoron, and his attorneys were struggling to seek guidance from the judge about moving for a mistrial based on the conduct of his clerk -- a touchy subject that Engoron had barred lawyers from referencing in court.
Enter Alina Habba, playing peacemaker.
"I'll be more clear, if I may. I think they are being extremely careful, and it's causing confusion, your Honor, so don't sanction me. I'm doing this in the most delicate way possible," said the attorney, who only hours earlier had blasted the judge to reporters on the steps of the courthouse as being "unhinged."
"I think this is fair, and I understand your concerns. You can make that motion, Ms. Habba," responded Engoron -- who also apologized for yelling at her earlier in the day.
Even though Engoron ultimately denied Trump's request for a mistrial, the exchange illustrates the often-contradictory roles that Habba has undertaken, acting as both the former president's unabashed defender and an occasional peacemaker in his $250 million fraud trial -- a position she has quickly adopted. after rising to fame following several years in private practice in New Jersey.
After working as a merchandiser at fashion company Marc Jacobs for two years, Habba attended Widener University Commonwealth Law School in Pennsylvania, graduating in 2011. She served a yearlong clerkship with then-New Jersey Superior Court Judge Eugene Codey Jr. then worked in private practice for eight years at two separate firms before starting her own practice in 2020, focusing on civil and commercial litigation.