BDS is a multi-disciplinary defense office representing low-income New Yorkers in criminal, family, immigration, and civil legal matters. Our expertise lies in the intersection of these legal systems that disproportionately impact poor, Black, Latine, and immigrant communities.   

BDS represents thousands of people each year who have diverse, complex, and multi-faceted legal needs. In addition to a zealous legal defense, our interdisciplinary teams of attorneys, social workers, and advocates provide a wide range of legal and advocacy services, including housing, public benefits, education, and employment issues. BDS is a public defense office where staff work collaboratively and across disciplines to deliver high-quality legal services that serve the people we represent, their families, and communities in Brooklyn.   

The majority of BDS’s funding comes through New York City and State government contracts, and in addition to handling BDS’s financial and management a...