Marc Canellas is a public defender specializing in forensics, a PhD aerospace and cognitive systems engineer, and an expert in AI governance. He is passionate about using science and engineering to uphold individual rights, validate lived experiences, and challenge the rise of carceral technologies.
As a public defender in the Maryland Office of the Public Defender’s Forensics Division, he supports Maryland’s public defenders and panel attorneys on complex forensic evidence cases including DNA software, face recognition systems, AI-generated audio, geofence and automated call-detail records analysis. Before joining Maryland OPD, Marc served as a public defender in Arlington County, Virginia, where he represented both juvenile and adult clients in serious criminal cases, including violent felonies, at the trial and appellate levels. He regularly consults on federal and state cases nationwide, including those involving DNA software, face recognition systems, AI-generated CSAM, and ballistics matching software. A proud member of the Maryland Defenders Union, Marc is deeply committed to advocating for systemic change.
Before his legal career, Marc earned his JD from New York University and his PhD from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), managing policy and appropriations for a portfolio including justice, defense, homeland security, space, science and technology. Due to his expertise in AI and policy, he is an Advisory Board Member and past-Chair the IEEE-USA AI Policy Committee, advising federal and state policymakers on AI governance on behalf of IEEE’s 180,000 US-based engineering, computing & technology professionals.
Marc has published widely in law reviews and scientific journals including the flagship publications AI Magazine and IEEE Computer. He also trains attorneys around the country on a broad range of legal issues including forensics, expert evidence and testimony, software-generated evidence and artificial intelligence.
