The Crime Report: Can the ‘Holistic Approach’ Solve The Crisis in Public Defense?
The Bronx Defenders’ method of Holistic Defense is explained in the article “Can the ‘Holistic Approach’ Solve The Crisis in Public Defense?” on thecrimereport.org. Can the ‘Holistic Approach’ Solve The Crisis in Public Defense? “Making changes in a resource-strained small county [Washoe County, Nevada] of 400,000 people seemed , however, all but impossible—until Bosler heard…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Reforming criminal justice system needs holistic tack
Former Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court Leah Ward Sears mentioned The Bronx Defenders as a model for how public defender offices should operate! “There are proven alternatives in our state and across the country that are effective in helping people move past an arrest, address the problems that led to it, make its…
New York Daily News: Key city players trying to help ease anxious immigrants’ worries over deportation
A new, nationwide legal task force with key city players is helping anxious immigrants who face deportation because of petty crimes they pled guilty to years ago. A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that lawyers have a constitutional obligation to inform clients they might be deported if they plead guilty has reenergized defender groups across…
The Four Pillars of Holistic Defense
While recognizing that Holistic Defense is practiced along a spectrum, the following core principles, or pillars, underlie and form the foundation of any successful Holistic Defense practice: 1. Seamless access to services that meet clients’ legal and social support needs; 2. Dynamic, interdisciplinary communication; 3. Advocates with an interdisciplinary skill set; 4. A robust understanding…
Robin speaks to the Criminal Law Committee of the Bar of NYC
Robin Steinberg spoke to the Criminal Law Committee of the Bar of the City of New York about Holistic Defense and the work of the lawyers and advocates at The Bronx Defenders.
NYU Law School Magazine: Another Bronx Tale
Robin Steinberg passionately believes that effective legal defense for the poor includes a good dose of social work. Never say something is impossible to achieve around Robin Steinberg ’82; it will only motivate her to prove you wrong. The 51-yearold founder of the Bronx Defenders, a unique non-profit public defense group in the Bronx, always…
Robin travels to… Hawaii
The Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association invited Robin Steinberg to speak at their Sunny Climate Annual Conference in Hawaii. Robin spoke about Holistic Defense and its benefits for clients and advocates alike.
Public Benefits and Child Support Arrears
By McGregor Smyth. Individuals who are released from prison or jail and who need financial assistance until they are able to get on their feet are likely to apply for aid both from Safety Net Assistance (“SNA”), the New York State public assistance program for adults who do not share a household with children, and…
Beyond Lawyering: How Holistic Representation Makes for Good Policy, Better Lawyers, and More Satisfied Clients
By Robin Steinberg. Lisa looked older than she was–her face and body aged too quickly by a childhood marked by abandonment, sexual abuse, and betrayal. Her teenage years spent as a prostitute; her adulthood ruled by an uncontrollable heroin addiction. I met Lisa when I was a young public defender in New York City in…
Holistic is Not a Bad Word: A Criminal Defense Attorney’s Guide to Using Invisible Punishments as an Advocacy Strategy
By McGregor Smyth. The legal disabilities and social exclusion resulting from any adverse encounter with the criminal justice system erect nearly insurmountable barriers for criminal defendants, people with criminal records, those returning to their communities after incarceration, and their families. Recent scholarship has highlighted the draconian effects of these invisible punishments and has argued that…
Cultural Revolution: Papers from the Executive Session on Public Defense
By Robin Steinberg and David Feige. Public defenders everywhere are beginning to reassess the most fundamental questions of what it means to provide effective representation for clients. Frustrated by the limitations traditionally imposed by government funders who seek to satisfy minimal constitutional requirements, public defenders are asking themselves if there is more they can do…