Appellate Defender

The Office of the Appellate Defender, established in 1988, is a nonprofit organization that provides appellate and post-conviction representation to indigent persons. The organization also fills an important need in the criminal justice system by training new and relatively inexperienced lawyers in the practice of client-centered appellate advocacy. From its record, 10 to 15 percent of its clients are found to have been wrongly convicted and sentenced to unduly harsh prison terms. Each year, it hires a diverse group of outstanding and committed lawyers for staff attorney positions, and gives them comprehensive training which focuses on appellate advocacy, client relations, and procedural and substantive criminal law. The Office of the Appellate Defender is based in New York City.