Screening: “The House I Live In”
Join us for a FREE screening of the award winning documentary, The House I Live In. Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at 6 PM Abundant Life Church 650 Washington Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11238 View the event flyer. Following the screening will be a panel discussion with: Assemblyman Karim Camera, District 43 Soffiyah Elijah, Executive Director, Correctional Association…
Join us for “Dining with Defenders” our annual Thanksgiving Feast!
The Bronx Defenders “Dining with Defenders” Thanksgiving Feast is this Thursday, November 28, 2013 from 11:30 am – 2:30 pm. Join us for turkey, sides and delicious pies! At The Bronx Defenders community reception space: 360 East 161st Street Bronx, NY 10451 Free for clients, families, and guests! RSVP encouraged but not required. Please call Porsha at (718)…
The Bronx Defenders now provides services to over 35,000 clients each year
Our contract with New York City’s Office of the Criminal Justice Coordinator was recently amended to include representation in ‘conflicts’ cases. These are criminal cases with more than one suspect or defendant involved in related criminal proceedings. The interests of one may ‘conflict’ with another and so separate counsel is assigned. We will eventually handle…
Philanthropy New York: Five Management Secrets from Excellent Nonprofits
Experts in nonprofits often call management the “non-sexy” part of philanthropy. It’s true: Sharpening strategies and refining management techniques aren’t as appealing as feeding children or building an arts center. But in recent weeks, I’ve been reminded that management is, in its own way, sexy. I’ve been hearing a lot about effective management because we…
Emma Ketteringham and Dinah Ortiz spoke at the Open Society Foundations
Emma Ketteringham, Managing Attorney of the Family Defense Practice, and Dinah Ortiz, Parent Advocate, spoke at a discussion on November 19, 2013 at the Open Society Foundations in New York. They spoke alongside other experts regarding the war on drugs, child welfare, and junk science. The discussion followed the screening of a new film from…
YOU’RE INVITED: Home for the Holidays
Join us on December 6, 2013 from 6-9pm at Sway Lounge for a holiday fundraiser for our clients’ families. Our goal is to raise funds to provide a wonderful holiday experience for our clients, their children and their families. For $20 donation, you can hear about our work, enjoy a few drinks, and make a…
Press Release: Launch of First-in-the-Nation Public Defender System for New York’s Immigrant Families
New York, New York, November 7, 2013 — Now, for the first time in the United States, detained immigrants who cannot afford attorneys of their own will be provided with court-appointed deportation defense counsel through the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP). Funded through the New York City Council, this first-in-the-nation pilot program, will…
Blueprint for Community Safety in the Bronx (Survey)
We need your help! The Bronx Defenders has created a Blueprint for Public Safety in the Bronx Survey to present to the next Mayor of New York City in January. Provide your input on how together we can make the Bronx safer for everyone. If you have five minutes, we just have a few quick…
Emma Ketteringham spoke at the 2013 International Drug Policy Reform Conference in Denver, CO on October 26th, 2013
On Saturday, October 26th, Emma Ketteringham, Managing Attorney of the Bronx Defenders’ Family Defense Practice, was a panelist for a roundtable discussion on the drug war’s impact on the criminal justice system during the 2013 International Drug Policy Reform Conference. The International Drug Policy Reform Conference is an event that happens every two years with…
NBC News: Family Separated After Family Court Closes Early
This week, Channel 4 news brought attention to the harm being caused to families by the lack of resources provided to New York City Family Courts. For those of us at The Bronx Defenders who represent parents in Bronx Family Court, the investigation revealed a devastating daily reality: family court can be a saddening and…
The Bronx Defenders Announced as Finalist for Nonprofit Excellence Awards
The Bronx Defenders Announced as Finalist for Nonprofit Excellence Awards The Bronx Defenders has been selected as one of six finalists for the 2013 New York Community Trust-New York Magazine Nonprofit Excellence Awards. The finalists were chosen in part due to their ability to improve services with thoughtful and well-executed strategies. The six finalists were selected…
The Bronx Defenders Announced as New York Law Journal Impact Awards Winner
As part of the New York Law Journal’s 125th anniversary celebration, the Law Journal has created the Impact Award to honor individuals, groups or projects that have had significant and lasting impact on the legal community in New York. The following, in no particular order, are the winners of the 2013 Impact Award. The honorees…
The Bronx Defenders participated in The 7th Annual Hunts Point Hustle
This past weekend, The Bronx Defenders participated in The 7th Annual Hunts Point Hustle, a non-competitive 5K run/walk event that started at Hunts Point Riverside Park and finished at Barretto Point Park. Proceeds from the Hustle will support host organization Sustainable South Bronx’s work promoting the development and beautification of the South Bronx Greenway. The…
The Bronx Defenders Wins the National Legal Aid and Defender Association’s 2013 Clara Shortridge Foltz Award
The Bronx Defenders is thrilled to announce that it will receive the National Legal Aid and Defender Association’s 2013 Clara Shortridge Foltz Award for its work pioneering holistic defense in the South Bronx. The Bronx Defenders is deeply grateful for the award and honored to be recognized as one of the many defender offices that…
Immigration Attorney Sarah Deri Oshiro gave testimony to the New York City Council
In the 2010 case Padilla v. Kentucky, the Supreme Court ruled that criminal defense attorneys must explain the potential immigration consequences of criminal case dispositions to their clients. This past week, the New York City Council Committee on Immigration heard testimony regarding attorney compliance with the ruling in Padilla. Bronx Defenders Immigration Attorney Sarah Deri…
The Bronx Defenders Begins Screenings of “Redefining Holistic Defense: Stories of Holistic Advocacy”
The Bronx Defenders will screen its new training video, “Redefining Holistic Defense: Stories of Holistic Advocacy,” for the first time on Wednesday, September 25th at Berkeley Law. Berkeley Law Boalt Hall, Room 100 12:45 to 1:45 pm A project of The Center for Holistic Defense, “Redefining Holistic Defense,” follows the stories of four South Bronx…
Abe Krash Receives The American Lawyer’s ‘Lifetime Achievers’ Award
Our 2013 Partner in the Pursuit of Justice, Abe Krash, receives the Lifetime Achievers Award from The American Lawyer’s. The American Lawyer has announced that Arnold & Porter LLP retired partner Abe Krash is a recipient of its 2013 Lifetime Achievers Award. Since its inception in 2007, the magazine’s annual award is conferred upon several…
The Bronx Defenders welcomes our 2013 training team!
The Bronx Defenders is proud to announce the start of our 2013 training team. During the first year, our new attorneys will receive intensive training in Holistic Defense, working alongside our experienced Criminal, Family, and Civil Attorneys, as well as our Social Workers, Policy and Community Organizers and Community Intake team. Welcome to our new…
Join us to watch the reading of a new play: Four Little Girls
Join us this Sunday to watch a reading of a new play: Four Little Girls Streamed LIVE from Washington, DC We invite the Bronx community to join us for a special screening of the play “Four Little Girls” in our reception space on Sunday, Sept. 15 at 5:30 PM. We are going to live-stream the reading…
Board Member Abbe Smith’s new book “How Can You Represent Those People?”
How Can You Represent Those People? is the first-ever collection of essays offering a response to the “Cocktail Party Question” asked of every criminal lawyer: how do you represent the accused? The contributors are a diverse group of prominent lawyers and rising stars, each offering a different—and often very personal— perspective on “the Question.” Many…
Justine Olderman responds to NY Post article on Bronx bail data
In an August 9, 2013 New York Post article headlined “Easiest Walk for Bx ‘High Risk’ Defendants,” the Mayor’s office takes a position that is in contravention of state law, ignores the facts about rates of return, and turns a blind eye to the growing movement for bail reform. After analyzing data showing that judges…
The Bronx Defenders Organizing Project will be registering voters today!
Volunteer today with The Bronx Defenders Organizing Project to register voters. The deadline is this Friday to register to be able to vote in the NYC primaries on Sept. 10th. Join us to register as many Bronx residents as possible. If you’re interested and available, please join us! Email Kamaub@bronxdefenders.org or meet us at 3pm at…
The Bronx Defenders Announced as Semifinalist for Nonprofit Excellence Awards
The Bronx Defenders Announced as Semifinalist for Nonprofit Excellence Awards Two Local Organizations Selected For Outstanding Management Practices NEW YORK (Aug. 13, 2013) – BronxWorks and Bronx Defenders have been chosen as two of the ten semifinalists for the 2013 New York Community Trust-New YorkMagazine Nonprofit Excellence Awards. The semifinalists impressed judges in areas ranging…
The Bronx Defenders hails today’s ‘Stop and Frisk’ decision by federal Judge Scheindlin
The Bronx Defenders hails today’s decision by federal Judge Scheindlin as a critical first step in recognizing and tackling the widespread abuses in the NYPD’s stop and frisk program. In landmark decisions in two class action lawsuits, a federal judge ruled today that the New York City Police Department has violated the constitutional rights of…
Legal Outreach at The Bronx Defenders for Summer 2013 Internship
During the week of August 5-8th, 2013, four rising sophomores from Legal Outreach interned with The Bronx Defenders. The interns were: Jazmin Bramble, Merari Denis, Adenique Lisse, and Carlos Salas. Below are some of their thoughts on the week. I had a pretty amazing week at the Bronx Defenders. Going to court, meeting different lawyers,…