The office of a Northwestern alumna is reportedly expected to represent the surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings.

Massachusetts federal public defender Miriam Conrad (Medill ’79) said her office plans to represent 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev once charges are filed, the Associated Press reported Saturday.

Dzhokhar remained in serious condition Sunday after he was cornered and arrested Friday by authorities in the Boston suburb of Watertown. Police believe Tsarnaev and his 26-year-old brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died in a police shootout earlier Friday, are responsible for the deadly explosions at the April 15 race.

Conrad, a former Daily staffer, told the AP that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev needs an appointed attorney immediately due to concerns over police questioning. Officials have not read him his Miranda rights, which include the right to an attorney, citing a legal exception for cases in which remaining silent could lead to further danger to the public.

— Manuel Rapada