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…
Robin Steinberg, Executive Director, and Marika Meis, Legal Director, attended a conference and contributed to a sweeping report coordinated by the Brennan Center and NACDL regarding racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system. According to NACDL, the report summarizes the “candid, sometimes painful panel discussions, and identifies a panoply of remedies that may advance…
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 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…
Brenda Zubay and Lisa Beneventano, Social Workers in The Bronx Defenders Family Defense Practice, were interviewed in the Fall 2013 issue of Rise Magazine. In the article, they discuss the benefits and dangers of revealing past trauma in court, and explain the importance of parents taking control of their story before the court takes control…
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…
Richard French speaks with the Chief Judge of New York State, Jonathan Lippman and with Justine Olderman of The Bronx Defenders about the current state of the jail and bail system in New York State. Justine Olderman: “We can say, ideally, it is about the presumption of innocence; it’s about the right to trial; it’s…
Despite news headlines almost daily this summer about New York City’s controversial stop-and-frisk police tactics, most journalists missed a key component in explaining why the worst abuses of this policy, in place for over a decade, have been curtailed. Had it not been for the grassroots activists, and financial support from a few courageous foundations…
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…
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…
U.S. Disctrict Court Judge Shira Scheindlin handed down two landmark opinions on Monday. In Floyd v. City of New York, a federal class action lawsuit challenging racial profiling by the NYPD, Judge Scheindlin ruled that the NYPD’s stop and frisk program violates the Constitution. A second order laying out remedies covers both Floyd and part…
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 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…
Monday saw two major legal developments in the so-called “war on drugs.” First, a judge in New York City ruled that the police department’s stop-and-frisk policy violated the Constitution in targeting a disproportionate number of blacks and Hispanics. Then, Attorney General Eric Holder announced the end of mandatory federal prison sentences for low-level, non-violent drug…
For nearly 30 years, being “tough on crime” was been part and parcel of successful political campaigns, and in the mid-1980s, Congress began enacting mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses. After that the prison population exploded and some experts shook their heads at what they considered to be misguided drug policy. But as Attorney General…
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…
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,…
In his July 29, 2013 article, Ray Rivera suggests that Justice DiMango’s “blockbuster part” has provided meaningful relief for the backlog of cases in the Bronx criminal courts. Nothing could be further from the truth. While the judge’s efforts may have closed a handful of cases, focusing on felony trials alone misses the larger and…
As part of a Training & Technical Assistance Grant earlier this year, the Law Offices of the Shelby County Public Defender receive training in techniques from The Bronx Defenders in partnership with the Center for Court Innovation. Shelby County was one of six public defender offices chosen to receive the grant. Public defenders in Atlanta,…
The Bronx Defenders will be attending the following career fairs: – NEBLSA: Friday, August 16, 2013 @ New York Law School – PILC Reception: Wednesday, August 28, 2013 @ New York City Bar Association – Massachusetts Law School Consortium: Monday October 21, 2013 @ BC Law School – Equal Justice Works: Friday, October 25, 2013…
The Bronx Defenders is working with the Law Offices of the Shelby County Public Defender in Memphis for the next six months to a build a lasting framework centered on holistic representation of their clients. Check out their write-up of their trip to the Bronx: Shelby County Public Defenders Begin Work with Bronx Defenders: Grant…
At one Bronx office, the public defenders see each new client more as an opportunity than a burden. Every new case is a chance to make sure the defenders never need to represent that person again. The Bronx Defenders work from a gleaming new office building near Yankee Stadium, right up the street from the…
Karen Smolar, Trial Chief of The Bronx Defenders, taught as a faculty member at the National Criminal Defense College, Trial Practice Institute, in the July 2013 session. This session, which took place in Macon, Georgia, was limited to just 96 participants. Topics covered in the institute included client interviews, jury selection, direct and cross examination,…
On July 25-26, 2013, the Brennan Center for Justice and the NLADA held the Community-Oriented Defender Network Conference on “The Meaning of Gideon: The Clients, The Counsel, The Community”. Our Executive Director, Robin Steinberg, presented on two panels — the first on public defense & media and the second on “holistic defense”. To see the…
Abbe Smith, a member of our Board of Directors, the director of the Criminal Defense & Prisoner Advocacy Clinic at Georgetown University and co-editor of the forthcoming “How Can You Represent Those People?” recently published an opinion piece for The Washington Post. Click here for Abbe’s thoughts on what motives public defenders to represent “those…