New York County Defender Services Information

New York County Defender Services first opened our doors in 1997. Our original team of 13 attorneys banded together to provide people accused of crimes in Manhattan with the highest quality legal representation in the city. More than twenty years later, NYCDS is now one of the premier public defender offices in the nation. We have represented more than 300,000 clients in Manhattan Criminal and Supreme Courts and developed deep expertise in many criminal defense sub-specialties. Our team numbers more than 100 staff, including 70 attorneys. We pride ourselves on our commitment to training and continuing education with a particular emphasis on building and developing trial skills. NYCDS clients benefit from a diverse defense team that includes experienced trial attorneys, social workers, highly skilled investigators, paralegals and support staff. Our staff includes corrections specialists and immigration, civil and policy attorneys to protect our clients’ rights inside and out of the criminal court. We also have dedicated trial attorney specialists who represent our clients in New York County’s three problem solving courts: mental health, veterans’ treatment and integrated domestic violence. We are committed to ensuring that our clients and their defense attorneys have the tools and resources they need to obtain the best possible outcome in every criminal case. Liberty and justice demand no less.