The Pro Bono Unit at BDS: 2025 So Far

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As we recognize 2025 Pro Bono Week, the Pro Bono Unit at Brooklyn Defender Services is proud to share the meaningful impact we've achieved through our law firm partnerships. We are deeply grateful for the continued collaboration and are excited to highlight some of the incredible work accomplished so far this year.

Immigration Practice

At BDS, we remain steadfast in our commitment to defending our noncitizen clients, and we deeply value the support of our law firm partners in this critical work. So far in 2025, our pro bono partners have supported many immigration-related cases, delivering life-changing assistance to our clients. These cases range from country conditions reports to appeals and circuit work. Impressively, 72 of these cases involved help with filing USCIS applications - a critical step in securing immigration relief and stability. In addition to their time and legal expertise, our partners have also contributed over $25,000 toward exorbitant USCIS filing fees, removing significant financial barriers for our clients and their families.

A majority of the applications filed have been Employment Authorization Documents (EAD’s), commonly known as “work permits.” EAD’s are vital for non-citizens as it grants them the legal right to work in the United States while awaiting permanent residency, asylum, or other immigration statuses. EAD's serve as a pathway for non-citizens to access employment opportunities, financial stability, and access to benefits and other services that ensure their sustained success in the US.

In addition to their work on EAD applications, our law firm partners have also supported BDS Immigration clients in renewing their DACA statuses, seeking replacement green cards through I-90 applications, and applying for U-Visas. These forms of relief are crucial for noncitizens, as they provide protection from deportation, preserve lawful status, and open pathways to permanent residency and eventually citizenship. This legal support is life-changing for our clients to help them remain with their families, access education and employment, and build safer, more stable lives in the United States.

A heartfelt thank you to the incredible firms who have partnered with us in this work - Fried Frank, Arnold & Porter, Orrick, Simpson Thacher, Crowell & Moring, DLA Piper, and Jenner & Block. We are so grateful for our partners’ commitment to ensuring immigrant communities receive the advocacy and representation they deserve, and this level of work could not have been accomplished without their support.

Family Defense Practice

Since the start of 2025, our dedicated pro bono partners have supported BDS in over 39 family defense cases, providing critical assistance through co-counseling complex litigation, motions to vacate findings in family court, legal research, and advocacy related to the State Central Registry (SCR). We are sincerely thankful for these partnerships and for the unwavering commitment these teams show in supporting our clients.

In March of this year, BDS partnered with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP to assist parents and caregivers who have been impacted by the State Central Registry (SCR) - a statewide database that contains reports of potential or suspected instances of child neglect or abuse. A significant majority of SCR reports do not involve abuse but rather reflect instances where poverty has been misclassified as “neglect.” These reports can be submitted anonymously, without any requirement of credible evidence, leaving families vulnerable to unsubstantiated claims. These reports are then added to the SCR, and parents and caregivers who choose to challenge their SCR record are left to defend themselves against the allegations, creating a hostile system that harms under-resourced parents, caregivers, and their children.

The consequences of having one’s name on the SCR are significant, often limiting access to certain employment and economic opportunities. Skadden’s team worked with eight Family Defense clients to amend and seal their reports. This critical advocacy helps remove barriers to employment and provides these clients with greater opportunities for long-term stability and economic mobility.

In addition to their vital SCR advocacy work, Skadden’s incredible summer associates played a key role in supporting five family defense clients in filing motions to vacate their family court findings. These efforts are more than just legal filings – they offer parents, caregivers, and their children a chance to move forward with a clean slate following family court involvement. By helping vacate these findings, Skadden’s team empowered families to reclaim stability.

This spring, BDS partnered with McKool Smith, and this Summer with HSF Kramer’s summer associates, to represent a total of nine family defense clients in administrative hearings challenging their inclusion on the State Central Registry (SCR). We’re proud to share that all nine clients received favorable outcomes, resulting in having their cases amended, sealed, and administratively closed. This advocacy is critical in the fight against systemic inequality in New York City. We are deeply grateful to the dedicated volunteers from McKool Smith and HSF Kramer for their commitment to the families we represent.

Criminal Defense and Other Units

We continued partnerships with other law firms on criminal defense advocacy such as research support and an amicus sign-on to a brief relating to our adolescent practice from Milbank. We appreciate the support from White & Case and Fried Frank with our education unit and Civil Rights & Law Reform Unit.

These are just a few of the many incredible outcomes we’ve achieved so far this year, made possible by the dedicated support of our pro bono partners. While we’re proud of all we’ve accomplished together, we know there is still much work ahead, and we’re excited for what’s to come.

There are numerous opportunities to collaborate with our staff on impactful pro bono projects, ranging from clinics, short-term research assignments to complex litigation and appellate work. These partnerships are essential to advancing the mission of Brooklyn Defender Services and ensuring our clients receive the highest quality representation.

If you or your firm is interested in partnering with the Brooklyn Defenders Pro Bono Unit, please contact Molly Meltzer, Director of Pro Bono, at MMeltzer@bds.org.

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