A young man whose legal troubles became fodder for household conversation after Netflix’s popular documentary, “Making a Murderer,” is in the news again.

Brendan Dassey, who was convicted in 2007 along with his uncle, Steven Avery, for the rape and murder of a woman named Teresa Halbach, was set to be released from jail Friday. His conviction had been overturned in August. But a federal appeals court blocked Magistrate Judge William Duffin’s release order.

Avery’s lawyer was Dean Strang, a 1985 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law. Strang is in big demand because of his views on criminal justice reform.

He spoke with UVA Today about the latest developments in the “Making a Murderer” legal saga as well as his return to Grounds to help teach a January term course.

Q. Why did a federal appeals court block the order?

A. It didn’t explain. I would be speculating, but my guess would be, “Look, for the moment at least, the state courts have upheld the conviction; the crimes are serious,” and until the court of appeals reaches a decision on the merits, it may have just thought it better to preserve the status quo. That is speculation, because there was no explanation in the court of appeals order.

That is a little unusual, but then again, the state filed an emergency motion in a compressed time frame.