After graduating from Yale College and the University of Chicago Law School, Professor Papandrea clerked for Hon. John G. Koeltl of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Hon. Douglas H. Ginsburg of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and Hon. David H. Souter of the U.S. Supreme Court. Following her clerkships, Professor Papandrea spent several years as a litigator at Williams & Connolly in Washington, D.C., where she specialized in First Amendment and media defense litigation. Papandrea is Chair of the AALS National Security Law Section and past Chair of the AALS Mass Communication Law Section. She is a member of the Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and District of Columbia bars.

Professor Papandrea's teaching interests include civil procedure, constitutional law, media law, and national security and civil liberties. Her research focuses on the impact of new technology on our understanding of the First Amendment and Media law.