named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
CJA Panel Training and Support
Provides training, CLE programs, and resources to attorneys on the Criminal Justice Act panel who are appointed when the office has a conflict.
Client and Family Support
Offers guidance and resources to clients and their families on issues including arrest procedures, visitation, correspondence, and court preparation.
Federal Defender Representation
Provides full legal defense services to indigent individuals charged with federal crimes, including bail advocacy, trial representation, and sentencing mitigation.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Support for Families Impacted by Incarceration 2 activities
- Facilitate legal communication with incarcerated clientsManages systems for attorneys to schedule legal calls and video teleconferencing (VTC) with clients at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) and Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), including use of Skedda and Airtable, and transitioned to online forms for request submissions. Default 30-minute calls are provided, with options for longer duration, subject to limits of up to 4 calls per unit per day at MCC and up to 6 at MDC, with requests due at least 72 hours in advance.
- Support families of detained individualsAssists family members in locating detained relatives by checking the Bureau of Prisons inmate database, resolving denied visitation requests by communicating with correctional facilities, and preparing letters of support for defendants prior to sentencing.
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 2 activities
- Provide federal criminal defense services to indigent individualsProvides legal representation and defense services to individuals charged with federal crimes who are unable to afford private counsel, primarily in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. The client population is overwhelmingly low-income, with over 80% indigent and approximately 75% people of color, predominantly Black and Latinx individuals.
- Provide legal eligibility and consultation servicesAssists individuals in completing financial affidavits to determine eligibility for court-appointed counsel at no cost and provides legal consultation to those with outstanding federal arrest warrants regarding potential surrender to the U.S. Marshals.
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Criminal Justice Policy Advocacy 1 activity
- Advocate for criminal justice and systemic reformEngages in public advocacy, legal filings, and civic discourse to advance criminal justice reform, including issuing public statements on fair jury selection, condemning systemic racism in policing and the federal justice system, calling for independent investigations into deaths in custody, and publishing opinion pieces on the impacts of federal prosecution. Coordinates research and legal advocacy focused on race and equality.
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Volunteer and Professional Training Programs 1 activity
- Deliver legal and anti-racism training programsProvides training to attorneys, including new U.S. Attorneys in the Southern District of New York General Crimes Unit, offers access to past training programs and materials for CJA panel members, and organizes anti-racism trainings for staff and the broader community.
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Facility-Based Service Delivery 1 activity
- Operate regional defense offices in New YorkOperates four regional offices in Brooklyn, Central Islip, Manhattan, and White Plains to deliver federal defense services, ensuring geographic accessibility for clients across New York City and surrounding counties.
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Professional Certification and Continuing Education 1 activity
- Provide continuing legal education and case summariesProvides CLE attendance verification and evaluation forms for attorneys and maintains a blog summarizing recent Second Circuit cases in federal criminal law to support legal professionals.
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Legal Education and Career Pipeline Programs 1 activity
- Train paralegals and social work studentsRuns a two-year paralegal program that trains recent college graduates for careers in law or graduate study and hosts Master's Degree candidates from top social work graduate schools as field placements.
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financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$27.69M
Contributions & grants$27.69M100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$27.71M
Program expenses80%
Admin / overhead20%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$21.04M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$787K
Cash$771K
Investments$0
Liabilities$765K
Net assets$21K
Liquid reserves0.3 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue +1.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
paid leadership · 9
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JENNIFER BROWN | ATTNY IN CHARGE | 40 | $270K |
| PEGGY M CROSS-GOLDENBERG | SUPERVISING ATTNY | 40 | $264K |
| TAMARA GIWA | EXEC DIRECTOR | 40 | $257K |
| BARRY LEIWANT | ATTNY IN CHARGE | 40 | $251K |
| YUANCHUNG LEE | ATTORNEY | 40 | $249K |
| EDWARD S ZAS | SUPERVISING ATTNY | 40 | $234K |
| MICHELLE A GELERNT | SUPERVISING ATTNY | 40 | $228K |
| DEIRDRE VON DORNUM | ATTNY IN CHARGE | 40 | $201K |
| DAVID PATTON | Executive Dir. | 40 | $189K |
board members · 2
- BOARD OF DIRECTOR-SEE ATTACHED — SEE SCHED
- JUSTINE HARRIS — Chair
relationships · 27
Who they work with
- Black Lives Matter Movement Partner — Expressed solidarity with and pledged support for the Black Lives Matter Movement in a public statement.
- Bronx Defenders Office Partner — Legal services provider in the Bronx.
- Brooklyn Defenders Office Partner — Legal services provider in Brooklyn.
- Daily News Partner — Published an opinion piece authored by Assistant Federal Defender Ian Marcus Amelkin.
- Defender Services Office Network — Member organization sharing and disseminating statements through the national office.
- Eastern District of New York Court House Government — Judicial entity where cases are adjudicated in the Eastern District of New York.
- Eastern District of New York Pretrial Services Government — Partner agency providing pretrial services in the Eastern District of New York.
- Eastern District of New York Probation Department Government — Partner agency responsible for probation services in the Eastern District of New York.
- Immigrant Defense Project Partner — Collaborates by providing resources and a hotline for criminal defense attorneys representing non-citizen clients.
- Legal Aid Society of New York Partner — Former parent organization from which the Federal Defenders of New York separated in 2005 to become an independent nonprofit.
- MCC Partner — Facility where Federal Defenders of New York provides legal call services.
- MDC Partner — Facility where Federal Defenders of New York provides legal call services.
- Metropolitan Correctional Center Government — Coordinates legal call and VTC scheduling for clients detained at MCC.
- Metropolitan Detention Center Government — Continues to use Airtable for legal call requests for clients detained at MDC.
- Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem Partner — Legal services provider in Harlem.
- New York Legal Aid Partner — Organization providing free legal assistance in New York.
- New York State Department of Corrections Government — State agency responsible for corrections in New York.
- New York University Law School Partner — Tamara Giwa serves as an adjunct professor teaching Professional Responsibility in Criminal Practice.
- Newsweek Partner — Co-published an opinion article on criminal justice reform.
- Office of Defender Services Training Branch Network — Shares resources and training materials with federal criminal practitioners through its national website.
- Southern District of New York Court House Government — Judicial entity where cases are adjudicated in the Southern District of New York.
- Southern District of New York Pretrial Services Government — Partner agency providing pretrial services in the Southern District of New York.
- Southern District of New York Probation Department Government — Partner agency responsible for probation services in the Southern District of New York.
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Government — Provides appellate legal representation in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York Government — Provides legal representation to indigent defendants in the Eastern District of New York.
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Government — Provides legal representation to indigent defendants in the Southern District of New York.
- United States Marshal's Office Government — Entity to which clients may surrender under legal guidance from Federal Defenders of New York.
strategies · 2
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Client-Centered Holistic Defensemethodology: client-centered_representationBy centering client autonomy and integrating multidisciplinary teams, we produce more effective legal representation and better client outcomes because understanding the full context of a client’s life strengthens defense strategy and increases trust in the attorney-client relationship.
- Strategic Litigation for Systemic Racial Justicemethodology: anti-racism litigation and institutional reformBy using individual cases to challenge systemic racism and constitutional violations in the federal criminal legal system, we produce broader institutional change because targeted litigation exposes patterns of inequity and creates legal precedents that protect marginalized communities.