Eric Tennen

Eric Tennen

Lecturer

Partner, Swomley & Tennen, LLP

JD, Boston University School of Law

Biography

Eric Tennen is a partner Swomley & Tennen, LLP. His work focuses on criminal defense and civil rights matters. Attorney Tennen has extensive experience as a trial litigator and appellate advocate.

Attorney Tennen specializes in issues related to sex offenses and collateral consequences, such as involuntary civil commitment and sex offender registration. He has won the release of many persons facing civil commitment as a sexually dangerous person and has successfully petitioned for the release of persons who were already involuntarily committed. He has also successfully represented clients before the Sex Offender Registry Board. Attorney Tennen has been on several continuing legal education panels as an expert in sex offender registration practice.

In addition to his work as a trial attorney, Attorney Tennen has extensive experience as an appellate advocate. Attorney Tennen began his career as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Justice John Mason of the Massachusetts Appeals Court and for the Honorable Chief Justice Michael Kruse at the High Court of American Samoa. He has authored several amicus briefs on behalf of various organizations.

Attorney Tennen is one of few attorneys authorized to represent indigent defendants in District Court, Superior Court, and in post-conviction matters (appeals), as well as persons who are charged with murder, petitioned for involuntarily commitment, and those appearing before the Sex Offender Registry Board. He also represents Federal defendants through the Criminal Justice Act.

In 2011, he was awarded the Paul Liacos Mental Health Advocacy Award by the Committee for Public Counsel Services for zealous advocacy on behalf of indigent defendants. In 2007 and 2013, Attorney Tennen was recognized as “Massachusetts Rising Star.” Since 2015, he has been selected as a “Super Lawyer” as published in Boston Magazine.

Profile Types
Faculty, JD Program, Lecturers & Adjunct Professors, and Part-Time Faculty

View all profiles

Activities & Engagements

No upcoming activities or engagements.

Courses

LAW JD 962

21st Century Policing: Law and Policy

2 credits

This course considers emerging issues in the law and policy of policing. Policing is bounded by U.S. constitutional law but also heavily determined by state and local statutes and regulations. As such, policing traditionally engages legal questions such as search, seizure, interrogation, and identification. At the same time, emerging issues for contemporary police include policing a pandemic, historical injustice in policing, international and domestic terrorism, and gun violence on college campuses and universities. This course addresses many topics that have impacted police and communities since the first wave of protests in 2014–2015 through the murder of George Floyd through the lens of 4th, 5th, and 6th amendment issues. This course engages students in a deeper understanding of 21st century policing, drawing on contemporary developments in law and policy grounded in the realities of the experiences of police and communities.

FALL 2026: LAW JD 962 A1, Aug 31st to Dec 3rd 2026
Days Start End Credits Instructors Bldg Room
Mon 4:20 pm 6:20 pm 2 Lowe
LAW JD 947

Federal Criminal Practice and Advocacy

3 credits

The seminar consists of an overview of the federal criminal process from beginning to end. It covers topics such as grand jury investigation and indictment, pretrial release and detention, discovery, plea bargaining, and sentencing. Lectures will cover the various areas, and will include guest speakers such as a federal prosecutor and defender. Students will be required to prepare two written court documents, one regarding release/detention, and the other sentencing, one as a prosecutor and the other as a defender. Additionally, the students will argue both. UPPER-CLASS WRITING REQUIREMENT: This Dedicated Writing Class may be used to satisfy the requirement. ** A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, may be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who are on a wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.