Martha Coakley Joining WCVB as Legal Analyst

Upon conclusion of her tenure as Massachusetts Attorney General, Martha Coakley will step into the role of Chief Legal Analyst for WCVB and WCVB.COM, Boston's News Leader.

Coakley will draw upon her decades of legal experience on the local, state and federal levels to help guide viewers through the evidence and legal maneuvering of the cases against the accused Marathon Bomber and former Patriot's star Aaron Hernandez.

"I am proud to join the team at Channel 5," Coakley said.  "I've spent my career prosecuting cases before juries and judges.  I look forward to providing viewers with unique insights to understand what is happening in court and the impact behind the decisions that are being made from the bench and by the lawyers both in and out of the courtroom."

Coakley, who has held the office of Massachusetts Attorney General for the past eight years, is also a former Middlesex County District Attorney, and former prosecutor on the federal and state levels.

During her legal career and as top prosecutor for both the state and the biggest county in Massachusetts, Coakley oversaw and prosecuted some of the state's most high-profile cases, including Louise Woodward, Neil Entwistle, Father Paul Shanley, and Michael "Mucko" McDermott.

As Attorney General, Coakley was a fierce advocate for consumer rights.  She led the Commonwealth's efforts to hold the banks responsible for the foreclosure crisis and successfully sued the federal government to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act.

"There is no better expert than Martha Coakley to help our viewers understand the nuances and context of these two important trials," said WCVB President and General Manager Bill Fine. "Martha has exactly the right blend of real world experience, expertise and diverse legal background we’ve been searching for," Fine added.

Coakley hasn’t made any long-term plans for her future, but thought the relationship with WCVB was the perfect place to start.  Coakley will also begin a fellowship at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Coakley will be featured on all of WCVB's platforms — TV, web and mobile — throughout the months-long trials of Marathon Bombing Suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez.