Criminal Defense Practice Entry-Level Staff Attorney

The Bronx Defenders (BxD) – an innovative, progressive, holistic indigent defense office in the South Bronx – seeks passionate law graduates and entry-level attorneys with a commitment to public defense to join our Criminal Defense Practice this upcoming Fall.

Founded in 1997, The Bronx Defenders is a public defender nonprofit that has developed a nationally recognized model of representation called holistic defense, which provides people with teams of lawyers, social workers, and advocates to defend them zealously in court as well as to address the underlying drivers and enmeshed penalties of legal system involvement.

Since opening our doors, we have grown into an organization of more than 400 staff members defending nearly 20,000 New Yorkers each year in criminal, family, civil, and immigration proceedings who face incarceration, family separation, eviction, and deportation, among other devastating consequences.

Today we are reimagining the role of public defense even further, using community organizing and engagement, legislative advocacy, and impact litigation to partner with the communities we represent to bring about long-lasting systemic change.

We also share our model and lessons learned with current and future public defenders, run two legal clinics at NYC law schools and train public defenders throughout the country on how to move to a holistic model of representation.

Training Team

Training Team attorneys participate in several weeks of intensive, interdisciplinary training to learn about all aspects of holistic representation, including litigation skills and client and community engagement through an anti-oppressive lens that analyzes how the legal system impacts marginalized communities and the community we work with. Following this training period, staff participate in trainings to sharpen their advocacy skills, raise their cultural consciousness, and enhance their collaboration with colleagues and the people we represent. For the 2025 Training Team, BxD will be hiring law graduates and attorneys to join the Criminal Defense, Family Defense, Immigration and Civil Action Practices. More information regarding the specific practice areas can be found below.

Criminal Defense Practice

The Criminal Defense Practice (CDP) consists of over 150 staff members who provide comprehensive defense representation to people in the Bronx facing police and criminal legal system involvement. Through a client-centered approach, our CDP teams strive to gain a deeper understanding of the circumstances and priorities of the people we represent. Armed with that understanding, we fight for the people we represent by employing effective case strategy and raising individualized, persuasive arguments in mitigation, negotiations, and litigation.

Responsibilities

• Zealously advocate for individuals facing criminal charges in the Bronx, as well as related administrative and civil proceedings such as Department of Motor Vehicle hearings
• Engage in intensive client interviewing, counseling, research, writing, oral advocacy, and negotiations as part of legal representation
• Provide comprehensive, team-based representation collaborating with an interdisciplinary team of attorneys and advocates to avoid and mitigate further legal system involvement and consequences that may arise out of contact with the criminal legal system
• Effectively litigate, confidently negotiate and skillfully advocate for clients in hearings and trials both orally and in writing
• Effectively communicate and negotiate with judges, prosecutors, and other actors within the criminal legal system
• Regularly work arraignments shifts, including nights and weekends
• Co-counsel cases in other venues like Family Court, Civil Court and Administrative Hearings, as necessary
• Help identify systemic problems facing the people we represent and creative solutions to mitigate or eliminate these issues by advocating for systemic change
• Enter and maintain accurate client data, files, and notes regarding advocacy and representation into our case management system
• Participate in holistic advocacy within the practice and in the office
• Participate in internal working groups to develop best practices
• Participate in trainings within the office as well as community events, conferences and trainings

Qualifications

To be eligible, candidates must be:

• Third-year (3L) students or recent graduates of an American Bar Association-accredited law school, or
• An attorney with less than three years of relevant legal practice

Applicants must demonstrate:

• Commitment to directly defending people charged with criminal offenses in the Bronx
• Commitment to challenging systemic injustice and carceral systems
• Experience working in and with racially and ethnically marginalized communities of color targeted by systemic injustice
• Ability to effectively and respectfully communicate, collaborate and connect with people from various backgrounds and experiences
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and non-lawyers
• Commitment to fierce advocacy and willingness to strategically challenge authority in defense of the people we represent
• Effective research, writing, and courtroom advocacy skills
• Strong legal analytical skills and capacity to employ non-legal resources to support the people we represent
• Ability to multitask, maintain order and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Ability to think critically and creatively in fast-paced setting, finding innovative solutions to unique obstacles
• Ability to receive constructive feedback, demonstrate introspection, and shift behavior accordingly
• Ability to exercise excellent judgment, discretion, and confidentiality around sensitive issues
• Commitment to raising one’s cultural consciousness and challenging oppressive practices on an interpersonal and institutional level

If hired, applicants must:

• Sit for the New York State Bar Examination, or
• Submit the appropriate materials necessary for Pro Hac Vice admission or waiver

This is a fully in-person position.

Salary is commensurate with experience. This is an entry level Law Graduate/Attorney Position with a salary of $83,504. Full-time employees are also eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental and vision coverage; a 403(b) plan with employer contribution; and a generous vacation, sick leave, and parental leave policy. More specific information about salary and benefits will be provided when and if an offer is extended.

Approximately 70% of The Bronx Defenders' staff, including attorneys and non-attorneys, are represented by UAW Local 2325 - Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (AFL-CIO). This position is within the bargaining unit.

This position is exempt. By law, non-exempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to over-time, whereas exempt employees are not.