Office of the Appellate Defender

Monitors criminal justice trends and engages in advocacy for legal and policy reforms, including opposing harmful residency restrictions for individuals convicted of sex offenses and advocating for transparent review of DNA mixture analysis methods used in criminal cases.

Locates and interviews witnesses, collects new evidence, consults with experts, and files petitions for relief in cases where there is evidence of wrongful conviction. Collaborates with organizations like the Innocence Project and works with district attorney conviction integrity units to secure exonerations.

Has secured the exoneration of multiple clients, including VanDyke Perry (2018), Latisha Johnson and Malisha Blyden (2014), and achieved reversals or dismissals in cases such as People v. Coulibaly, People v. Folk, People v. Jain, and People v. Soriano, based on legal errors, miscalculations, or constitutional violations.

Runs a spring clinic in which law students represent clients in pending appellate cases under supervision, including filing briefs and presenting oral arguments before the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Judicial Department.

Provides appellate defense training that equips attorneys for leadership roles in public defense, government legal offices, law firms, and public interest organizations. Notable alumni include Eunice C. Lee, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Manages a program that enables associate attorneys from law firms to represent indigent clients in criminal appeals under OAD supervision, achieving a 15% success rate in securing post-conviction relief in New York appellate courts.

Provides pro bono appellate and post-conviction legal representation to individuals convicted of felonies in New York City, particularly in Manhattan and the Bronx, before state and federal appellate courts. This includes filing appellate briefs, presenting oral arguments, and challenging convictions based on legal errors, improper jury instructions, unlawful police conduct, or flawed forensic methods.

Conducts training sessions for trial lawyers on error preservation and other appellate issues to strengthen the quality of legal defense and improve prospects for successful appellate review.

Employs a permanent social worker and provides case management, supportive counseling, referrals to medical and mental health services, housing, employment, and public benefits. Supports clients during re-entry by paying for identification documents, providing clothing and toiletries, and assisting with parole applications and reintegration.

Advocates for clients facing mistreatment or denial of medical/mental health care in custody, conducts in-person visits for isolated individuals, types legal and personal writings when institutional resources are unavailable, and provides emotional and human connection during incarceration.

Hosts appellate court sessions to argue cases of broader legal significance, such as whether deception in a commercial transaction constitutes federal mail or wire fraud without intent to cause economic harm (Kousisis v. United States), or the use of cumulative IQ scores in determining intellectual disability to prevent execution (Hamm v. Smith).