irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2023
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $627KOPERATE VETERANS DEFENSE PROGRAM PROVIDING DIRECT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING FOR PUBLIC DEFENSE ATTORNEYS AND MEMBERS IN NEW YORK STATE.
- #2 $568KOPERATE THE PUBLIC DEFENSE CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PROVIDING QUICK ACCESS TO IMPORTANT CLIENT AND CASE INFORMATION, HELPING PUBLIC DEFENSE AND LEGAL AID OFFICES MANAGE CASES AND SERVE CLIENTS MORE EFFECTIVELY.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Backup Center Direct Defender Services
Offers on-demand legal research, technical assistance, and expert consultation to public defenders and assigned counsel throughout New York State.
Discovery and Forensic Support Unit
Provides specialized support in digital evidence, forensic analysis, and discovery review for criminal defense attorneys representing indigent clients.
Public Defense Case Management System (PDCMS)
Technology platform that enables public defense and legal aid offices across New York State to manage client and case information efficiently and securely.
Veterans Defense Program
Provides specialized legal and case management support to justice-involved veterans and the public defenders representing them, including training, mitigation services, and expert referrals.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Criminal Justice Policy Advocacy 4 activities
- Advocates for legal representation and policy reformEngages in advocacy efforts to uphold constitutional and statutory rights to legal representation, including legislative advocacy in partnership with organizations like JMACforFamilies and technical assistance to government officials on public defense legislation.
- Operates the Public Defense Backup CenterProvides direct support to public defense attorneys through the Public Defense Backup Center, offering case consultations, legal research, expert consultation, discovery review, and publications such as the Backup Center REPORT on criminal and family court matters.
- Supports digital and forensic defense capabilitiesProvides specialized support in digital forensics and electronic discovery, including case consultations, legal research, resource guides, expert referrals, and project support to enhance forensic defense capacity for public defenders.
- Supports public defense standards and system evaluationProvides ongoing support to the Indigent Legal Services Office in developing public defense standards and evaluates county-level public defense systems through data collection, research analysis, and survey design.
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Professional Certification and Continuing Education 3 activities
- Delivers web-based and on-demand legal training and resourcesProvides web-based training on topics such as domestic violence defense and ethical representation in family court, offers free webinars on forensic evidence, and makes recordings of training events available on demand for continuing legal education (CLE) credit.
- Hosts annual conferences and professional development eventsOrganizes and hosts annual in-person and regional conferences such as the Fall Forensics Conference and Family Law Conference to promote skill building, collaboration, and professional development among criminal and family defense practitioners.
- Provides training programs for public defense professionalsOffers comprehensive training programs including the Basic Trial Skills Program, Fall Forensics Conference, Metro Trainer, and Family Law Conference to build courtroom advocacy, litigation, and trial skills for public defenders and family court practitioners across New York State.
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 2 activities
- Maintains public defense program directoryMaintains and provides access to the Chief Defender List, a resource that helps individuals locate public defense programs in their local jurisdictions across New York State.
- Operates as a statewide bar association for criminal and family defenseFunctions as the largest criminal and family defense bar association in New York State, supporting public defenders and legal aid providers across the state.
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Restorative Justice and Peer Mediation Programs 1 activity
- Conducts restorative practice training and processesProvides training in restorative practices and facilitates case-specific restorative justice processes to support alternative dispute resolution and healing in legal contexts.
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Self-Defense Training Programs 1 activity
- Operates a dedicated training facility and online member platformRuns the Defender Institute, a physical training space in downtown Albany, and maintains an online community platform to support member engagement, collaboration, and access to resources.
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Veteran Support Grantmaking 1 activity
- Operates the Veterans Defense ProgramProvides technical assistance, training, and specialized legal support to public defense attorneys representing justice-involved veterans in New York State through the Veterans Defense Program.
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Family and Juvenile Legal Defense 1 activity
- Produces legal research, policy documents, and sample materialsCompiles and shares sample motions for family court representation, produces position papers, studies, and policy documents on public defense, and maintains an archive of research and publications to support practitioners.
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financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$4.63M
Contributions & grants$3.66M79%
Program service revenue$971K21%
Investment income$-560-0%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$4.32M
Program expenses96%
Admin / overhead4%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$2.92M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.83M
Cash$231K
Investments$0
Liabilities$685K
Net assets$2.14M
Liquid reserves0.6 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2023 · YoY revenue +14.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSAN C BRYANT | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $165K |
| DARLENE A DOLLARD | PDCMS MANAGER | 40 | $138K |
board members · 20
- ANDREW D CORREIA — SECRETARY
- CARRIE W BLEAKLEY — VICE-PRESIDENT
- COURTNEY S RADICK — DIRECTOR
- CYNTHIA H CONTI-COOK — DIRECTOR
- IZEL FORTUNATO — DIRECTOR
- JARED TRUJILLO — DIRECTOR
- JOHN C TURI — PRESIDENT
- JOSEPH R LENTOL — DIRECTOR
- KEVIN KELLY — DIRECTOR
- MAGDALENA HALE SPENCER — DIRECTOR
- MARSHA WEISSMAN — DIRECTOR
- NORMAN P EFFMAN — VICE-PRESIDENT
- PAMELA ZIMBA — DIRECTOR
- RICHARD A ROTHERMEL — TREASURER
- RICHARD M GREENBERG — DIRECTOR
- SCOTT D LEVY — DIRECTOR
- STEVEN J HYMAN — DIRECTOR
- SUSAN R HORN — DIRECTOR
- THOMAS NN ANGELL — DIRECTOR
- ZAMIR BEN-DAN — DIRECTOR
relationships · 25
Who they work with
- Albany and Ulster County District Attorney Offices Partner — Provides restorative practice training to district attorney offices.
- Albany and Ulster County Probation Partner — Provides restorative practice training to probation departments.
- Community Accountability Boards of NYS University at Albany and in Newburg, NY Partner — Provides restorative practice training to community accountability boards.
- Facebook Network — Organization maintains a presence on Facebook for community outreach.
- Facebook Network — Social media platform used for community engagement and updates
- Facebook Partner — Social media platform used for organizational outreach and engagement
- Hilton Garden Inn Saratoga Springs Partner — Secondary host venue for NYSDA's annual meeting and conference.
- Indigent Legal Services Office Partner — Collaborates with NYSDA on the development of public defense standards and policy; references NYSDA research and testimony in official rulemaking.
- JMACforFamilies Partner — Partnered with NYSDA to advocate for legislation protecting families.
- Linkedin Network — Organization maintains a presence on LinkedIn for professional engagement.
- Linkedin Network — Social media platform used for professional outreach and engagement
- Linkedin Partner — Social media platform used for organizational outreach and engagement
- NYS Office of Indigent Legal Services Partner — Collaborates on standards development and serves on advisory councils.
- National Legal Aid and Defender Association Network — Collaborated on drafting NLADA standards and performance guidelines.
- New York State Association of Counties Partner — NYSDA is a long-standing affiliate organization, working collaboratively on issues affecting county-level public defense systems.
- New York State Defenders Association Network — Hosts the Veterans Defense Program as part of its organizational structure.
- Public Defense and Legal Aid Offices in New York State Partner — Provides case management systems and training to support public defense and legal aid offices in New York State.
- SUNY School of Criminal Justice Partner — Collaborates on academic credit for criminal justice interns.
- Saratoga Hilton Partner — Host venue for NYSDA's annual meeting and conference.
- School of Information Science and Policy, University at Albany Partner — Collaborates on academic credit for library interns.
- Twitter Network — Organization maintains a presence on Twitter for public communication.
- Twitter Network — Social media platform used for public communication and information sharing
- Twitter Partner — Social media platform used for organizational outreach and engagement
- YourMembership Government — Provider of membership management software used by NYSDA
- YourMembership Partner — Provides membership management software for NYSDA.
strategies · 5
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.
- Collective Membership Advocacymethodology: collective_membership_advocacyBy uniting public defense professionals through a membership network, we amplify systemic advocacy efforts because collective commitment strengthens political and institutional influence to advance equitable justice reform.
- Experiential Litigation Trainingmethodology: experiential_legal_trainingBy combining in-person, on-demand, and litigation-focused training with hands-on exercises and faculty feedback, we improve public defenders’ trial skills because experiential learning builds practical competence more effectively than theoretical instruction alone.
- Inclusive Defense Community Modelmethodology: inclusive_defense_communityBy integrating diverse roles—such as investigators, social workers, and legal assistants—with attorneys in public defense teams, we improve the quality of representation because holistic, multidisciplinary collaboration addresses both legal and social determinants of justice outcomes.
- Resource Attorney Support Modelmethodology: resource_attorney_modelBy deploying resource attorneys to provide specialized forensic and legal expertise directly to defense teams across the state, we strengthen case-level advocacy because access to centralized, expert support improves the quality and consistency of public defense representation.
- Standards-Based Systemic Reformmethodology: standards_based_reformBy developing and disseminating public defense standards in collaboration with chief defenders and client advisors, we drive system-wide improvements because shared, evidence-informed benchmarks create accountability and guide sustainable practice change.