Legal Representation, Policy & Advocacy
About
Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) is a public defense office whose mission is to provide outstanding representation and advocacy free of cost to people facing loss of freedom, family separation and other serious legal harms by the government. For 29 years, BDS has worked, in and out of court, to protect and uphold the rights of individuals and to change laws and systems that perpetuate injustice and inequality. As of July 1, 2025, BDS assumed the responsibilities of the criminal defense contract previously held by Queens Defenders. We are proud to now provide high quality legal services to low-income New Yorkers in both Brooklyn and Queens.
Our staff consists of specialized attorneys, social workers, investigators, paralegals, and administrative staff who are experts in their individual fields. In addition to our three primary right-to-counsel programs-criminal. Family and immigration defense, BDS also provides a wide range of additional services for our clients. These services include civil legal advocacy, assistance with educational needs of our clients or their children, housing, and benefits advocacy, as well as immigration advice and representation.
Support
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Legal Representation
The Family Defense Practice at Brooklyn Defenders has been representing parents and other caregivers in Family Court since 2007. Today, we are the primary provider of legal representation to parents facing the removal of their children to the foster system in Kings County Family Court. Brooklyn Defenders provides a wide range of services, including assisting people who are facing an investigation, providing legal representation to people who are brought to court and helping to clear the records of people from databases that impact employment. Our goal is to keep families safely together or reunify families as soon as possible when separation occurs. Our attorneys, social workers and other staff work together to advise, assist and represent parents every step of the way.
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Policy & Advocacy
We see firsthand the unjust laws and policies that were designed to keep people down, often based on identity and race. We influence change by engaging in legislative advocacy at the city, state, and federal levels, employing strategic litigation to combat unconstitutional practices and amplifying the voices of public defenders and people who are directly impacted in the media.
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