Partners
Brooklyn Defenders partners with foundations, pro bono lawyers, educational institutions, and other organizations to leverage resources and expertise in furtherance of our mission. We receive funding from dozens of government agencies, individual donors, private foundations, and corporations and proudly partner with private law firms, corporations, and other members of the private bar who generously donate their time to complement the work of our staff. We also partner with a number of community groups and networks on individual projects.
Foundation Partners
BDS receives private funding and foundation grants to support additional specialized programming such as educational advocacy services, services for trafficking victims, essential client needs, Know Your Rights education and other specialized projects that support the people we serve.
RECENT Foundation PARTNERS
- Allianz Foundation for North America
- American College of Trial Lawyers
- Booth Ferris Foundation
- Craig Newmark Philanthropies
- John N. Blackman Sr. Foundation
- Metzger-Price Fund, Inc.
- National Basketball Players Association Foundation
- Porticus
- Seth Sprague Education and Charitable Foundation
- Signature Bank
- Sills Family Foundation
- The New York Bar Foundation
- The New York Community Trust
- Thomson-Reuters
- Trinity Church Wall Street
- Robin Hood Foundation
Pro Bono Partners
Our pro bono partners work on individual cases, affirmative and defensive appeals, federal litigation, amicus briefs, public comments and other projects as needed. Law firms, corporations, law-firm attorneys, and in-house counsel who are interested in joining our pro bono practice, please contact Molly Meltzer, Director of Pro Bono, at mmeltzer@bds.org. For additional information regarding our pro bono partnerships please view our information sheet here.
RECENT PRO BONO PARTNERS
- Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP
- Boies Schiller Flexner LLP
- Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
- Covington & Burling LLP
- Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
- Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
- Dentons
- Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
- Jenner & Block LLP
- Kasowitz, Benson & Torres LLP
- Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP
- Linklaters LLP
- Mayer Brown LLP
- MoloLamken LLP
- O'Melveny & Myers LLP
- Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
- Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
- Proskauer Rose LLP
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
- Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates
- Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
- Sidley Austin LLP
- Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
- Winston & Strawn LLP
Organizational Partners
BDS works with other non-profit organizations and community groups for a wide variety of projects that serve our clients. These relationships allow us to maximize our resources and share our expertise across the city, state and country.
CIVIL JUSTICE
- New York Legal Assistance Group
- Equal Justice Works Fellowship, Sponsored by PepsiCo.
- The Hope Reichbach Fund
- LEAP (members listed below)
- BOOM!HEALTH
- The Bronx Defenders
- Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A
- CAMBA Legal Services, Catholic Migration Services
- The Door
- Goddard Riverside Law Project
- Housing Conservation Coordinators
- JASA Legal Services for Elder Justice
- Lenox Hill Neighborhood House
- Make the Road New York
- Mobilization for Justice
- The Neighborhood Defender Services of Harlem
- New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
- Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation Legal Services
- TakeRoot Justice
- Urban Justice Center
- Volunteers of Legal Service
CRIMINAL DEFENSE
- Beyond Boxing
- exalt
FAMILY DEFENSE
- Parent Legislative Action Network (PLAN)
- The Center for Urban Pedagogy
- Ancient Song Doula Services
- Movement for Family Power
- JMacForFamilies
- New York Civil Liberties Union
- Pregnancy Justice
- Women in Need
- YAI
IMMIGRATION
- New York Immigrant Family Unity Project partnership with The Legal Aid Society & The Bronx Defenders
- The SAFE Cities Network partnership with The Vera Institute of Justice
- The National Qualified Representative Program partnership with The Vera Institute of Justice
- Community Healthcare Network
- Immigrant Justice Corps
- Immigrant Defense Project
SOCIAL WORK
- New York Cares
- Good Shepherd Services
- Well Cloth'd
- NYC Mammas Give Back
- Center for Community Alternatives
- Esperanza N.Y.
- Families Rising
- Petey Greene Program
- Save Our Streets
- Man Up! Inc.
- Kings Against Violence Initiative (KAVI)
- Gangstas Making Astronomical Community Changes (GMAC)
- Housing Works
- The Door
Educational Partners
BDS has formal partnerships with law schools to provide clinics and serve as a placement for legal interns. We also serve as a field placement organization for interns to receive credit and training while completing a Masters in Social Work degree.
LAW SCHOOL PARTNERS
- Brooklyn Law School, Disability and Civil Rights Clinic
- Fordham Law School, Feerick Center for Social Justice
- New York Law School, Education Law and Policy Institute
- New York University School of Law, Family Defense Clinic
- New York University School of Law, Criminal Defense and Reentry Clinic
- Cornell Law School
SOCIAL WORK PARTNERS
- Columbia School of Social Work
- Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service
- LIU School of Social Work
- NYU Silver School of Social Work
- Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College
- Smith College School for Social Work
- Wurzweiler School of Social Work Yeshiva