Bill Cosby's lawyer is stealing the spotlight, impressing even those who believe he is guilty

Monique Pressley has the unenviable job not only of defending Bill Cosby against sexual assault allegations made against him but also of dealing with public opinion on the matter. And she is surprisingly good at both of those things.

Watching Pressley on TV, it’s clear that she knows what she’s doing. For example, when she appeared on Tom Joyner’s morning radio show, he was left astonished, saying, “You know, Monique Pressley, I never heard of you before this, but just listening to you just now, I think Bill Cosby has chosen a very good attorney because you broke that down.”

Atlanta attorney Chris Stewart, who was part of the history-making mock trial team that Pressley helped coach into championship, said that her grace on the air is just part of her skill as a lawyer. “Who you are seeing on television is exactly who she is. She will talk to you the way she talks in those interviews: Firm. She’s not going to play around. She’s not going to let somebody misquote her or misquote her client. And you better memorize everything, because she already has,” he said.

But analysts say she wasn’t just hired for her skill, though it certainly is undeniable that she brings her A game to every interview and television appearance.

Below is an interview with Huff Post Live host Marc Lamont Hill where Pressley seamlessly addresses many public concerns about the case without batting an eyelash.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP6sBEmAgIE

“Her gender and her race matter, because Bill Cosby is being charged with sexual assault of several women. A large number of those women are white women. I think there’s a certain extent to which the idea of racial solidarity plays in here,” said Lolita Buckner Inniss, a former prosecutor and professor at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University. “The idea that if an intelligent, well-spoken black woman stands with Bill Cosby on this, then perhaps some of those people who accuse Bill Cosby are lying.”

As the charges against Bill Cosby proceed, Buckner Inniss said it’s important to keep an eye on the drama while keeping your head clear with the facts, watching for “an epic demonstration of theatrics and legal performances.”

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I wonder: if #MoniquePressley was defending, say, George Zimmerman, would y'all still be salivating over her skill and "badassery"? Hmm. — Your staff is broken. (@DamoneWilliams_) January 6, 2016

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