The first time Susan Filan '91 delivered an opening statement, she had to convince a jury of not 12, but millions, that Michael Jackson was guilty of child molestation.

"The first opening statement I ever gave was on live TV," says Filan, now the senior legal analyst for MSNBC. Dan Abrams had asked Filan, then a prosecutor, to present a mock opening statement on The Abrams Report.

Connecticut trials, however, don't incorporate opening statements, so Filan had some homework to do, and less than a day to do it. In preparing the statement, she had to learn the applicable California laws, make it interesting to viewers and whittle it down for a three-minute spot.

"This was television. There was no merciful judge who could give you a few extra minutes," says Filan, who since has perfected clear and concise legal commentary. The hard work paid off with a persuasive opening statement that made her the go-to legal analyst for the 1995 Jackson trial.

Soon after, MSNBC hired her and she's been doling out legal explanations since for high-profile cases that have drawn the public's interest and ire, from the legal battles of Kobe Bryant and Paris Hilton to the murder of JonBenét Ramsey and presumed murder of Natalee Holloway.

Even before The Abrams Report, Filan had provided legal commentary for Court TV, now truTV. Producers took notice of her diverse legal expertise during the Michael Skakel trial in Connecticut. She also had been a criminal defense lawyer in New Haven and Bridgeport, and an assistant state's attorney for the Office of the Chief State's Attorney.

Filan enjoys using her experience to help the public understand the court system, both on TV and in her column at MSNBC.com. "Anytime I can educate viewers, I feel like I'm doing a public service," says Filan. "I'm basically a public servant at heart."

Filan tries to stay clear of the gossipy and mean-spirited banter that permeates television, but uses hot topics to shed light on serious legal issues. It's tragic to see Britney Spears' stumbles as a mother, says Filan, who is raising two adopted children from China.

"I like looking at the legal issues presented to a family judge when you have families with these types of problems," she says. "What's the best thing for these children?" She makes no apologies for the passion she displays for her cases on the air. "It's the fact that I care that makes it interesting to listen to me."