BRONX DEFENDERS
360 East 161 Street, Bronx, NY 10451

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Organizations Filed Purposes: The Bronx Defenders is a public defender that is radically transforming how people in the Bronx are represented in our legal system and, in doing so, is transforming the system itself. We have pioneered a groundbreaking, nationally recognized model of holistic defense that achieves better outcomes for our clients. Each year, we defend over 20,000 low-income Bronx residents in criminal, civil, child welfare, and immigration cases, and reach thousands more through our community intake and outreach programs.

THE BRONX DEFENDERS PROVIDES INNOVATIVE, HOLISTIC LEGAL REPRESENTATION AND OTHER RELATED SERVICES TO MORE THAN 20,000 LOW-INCOME PEOPLE IN THE BRONX, EVERY YEAR, FREE OF CHARGE.

HOLISTIC DEFENSE: Every client who comes to The Bronx Defenders is connected to an interdisciplinary team of advocates, including criminal defense attorneys, family defense attorneys, civil attorneys, immigration attorneys, social workers, civil legal advocates, parent advocates, immigration advocates, and benefits specialists. Each of these teams fosters interdisciplinary skills, ensures compassionate and comprehensive representation, and supports a culture of innovative, zealous, and holistic advocacy. We also leverage the experience of these teams in an early advocacy program that acts as an off-ramp for those at risk of future system involvement. In the year ending 6/30/20, we represented over 20,000 clients through this Holistic Defence model.

Systemic Advocacy: Our allegiance to our clients and our proximity to the legal system place us on the front lines in the fight for a just society. We bear witness to the experiences of our clients, providing us with the knowledge to identify problems and lead solutions. Through impact litigation, policy reform advocacy, community organizing and strategic communications, we push for systemic changes at the local, state, and national level. In the year ending 6/30/2020, our systemic advocacy teams were particularly active in fighting for legislative change in cannabis laws, drivers license suspension, and ending solitary confinement as well as being at the forefront of advocating for policies and laws that are proactive and responsive to the public health crisis of COVID-19.

Training and Education: We help public defenders and other advocates incorporate the principles of holistic defense into their practices, at the individual or the organizational level. We also provide personal and professional growth opportunities for community members through mentorship. Specific ongoing and annual initiatives include the Center For Holistic Defense, the Defenders Academy (suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid), the Robert P. Patterson, Jr. Mentoring Program, and clinics at Columbia Law School and Cardozo School of Law. In the year ending 6/30/20, we provided training, mentorship, and other related services both in person and virtually to over 1000 individuals from over 100 other defender offices, organizations, and community groups.

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Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202101379349309655_public.xml