About Us - The Bronx Defenders

Mission and Story

Defending people, not cases

The Bronx Defenders was founded on a simple premise – that our job is to reimagine what a public defender office can, and should do, for the people we represent.

As public defenders, we know that the systems we fight are deeply rooted in racism, surveillance, and control. That’s why our work extends beyond the courtroom. We engage in community organizing, legislative advocacy, and proactive litigation, working with the people we represent to fight for structural change.

Since opening our doors in 1997, we have grown into an office serving nearly 20,000 Bronx residents each year. Every day, we confront and challenge the oppressive legal systems that criminalize poverty, separate families, and systematically target Black, Latine, immigrant, and low-income New Yorkers.

Holistic Defense

What makes our approach to advocacy unique and highly effective in delivering better outcomes for the people we represent is our nationally recognized model of holistic defense.

Holistic defense is a simple idea – that as public defenders, we should recognize people as whole people. Winning in the courts takes more than understanding the details and available evidence of a person’s case. It requires us to go beyond the confines of the legal system to which they have been subjected; to understand the conditions that led to their system involvement in the first place. And by getting to know them as spouses, as children, as family members – in short, as New Yorkers who want what we all want: safety, dignity, and the right to thrive – we can better help them fight their cases and win the futures they seek.

In practice, holistic defense looks like a circle of experts from across our organization who collaborate to fiercely defend every person who comes through our doors. That’s because a single arrest or interaction with government agencies can lead to a cascade of never-ending, perpetual punishment: an arrest for a drug charge can lead to a deportation case. A housing case can lead to a child welfare case. As a result, we tailor our legal defense and advocacy against the entire web of consequences that arise from legal system entanglement.

Board of Directors

Earl Ward, Esq.

Board Chair Partner, Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP

A partner at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady, LLC, Mr. Ward is one of New York’s preeminent and most successful trial lawyers, with 26 years of experience as a criminal defense and civil rights attorney. Before joining Emery Celli Brinckerhoff and Abady, Mr. Ward had his own firm where he handled serious felony matters. Mr. Ward’s clients have spanned a broad spectrum, from indigent criminal defendants to high profile figures and corporate executives. Mr. Ward has lectured extensively on trial practice, including as guest lecturer at New York University School of Law, Cardozo Law School, and the United States District Court for the Southern District, Pro Se Trial Advocacy Program. In addition to his position on the Board of The Bronx Defender, Mr. Ward is also Chair of the Board of Housing Works, an organization committed to helping homeless men and women with HIV/AIDS, and Chair of the Board of Esperanza, an alternative to incarceration program for at risk adolescents.

Michael Bloch

Partner, Bloch & White LLP

Michael Bloch is an accomplished trial attorney who recently launched his own practice, Bloch & White LLP, which specializes in criminal defense, civil rights and commercial litigation. Michael was one of the lead attorneys in Sines v. Kessler, the federal civil rights lawsuit brought against the neo-Nazis and white supremacists who conspired to commit racially motivated violence in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017. The four-week jury trial resulted in a substantial judgment for Michael’s clients. Prior to launching Bloch & White LLP, Michael spent over seven years at the Bronx Defenders, where he was a supervisor in the Criminal Defense Practice, a member of the Homicide Practice Group, and served as a supervisor of the Investigations Practice. Michael also worked for three years as Counsel at Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP, as well as three years at Williams & Connolly LLP. Michael is a member of the faculty of Harvard Law School’s Trial Advocacy Workshop and the National Criminal Defense College. Michael graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he represented clients charged with crimes in Roxbury District Court as part of the Criminal Justice Institute. Before law school, he worked as a criminal defense investigator with the Public Defender Service in Washington, D.C. Michael has been a member of the New York City Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Operations Committee and Mass Incarceration Task Force. His writings have appeared in the New York Times, USA Today, New York Daily News, Bloomberg Law, Law360, National Law Journal, The Champion and The Forward.

P. Benjamin Duke, Esq.

Board Treasurer
Partner, Covington & Burling LLP

As a litigation partner and a member of the Insurance Practice Group at Covington & Burling, LLP, Mr. Duke represents policyholders in a broad range of complex litigation, arbitration and advisory matters involving all types of insurance – from general liability to D&O, professional liability, and other specialized coverages. Mr. Duke has broad experience litigating both in state and federal courts and in numerous arbitration forums. He has advised and helped obtain significant insurance recoveries on behalf of clients in many industries, including the financial services, technology, energy and pharmaceutical industries. In addition to his insurance recovery experience, Mr. Duke has extensive trial experience representing financial institutions in the defense of securities-related claims and other financial disputes.

Nicole Smith Futrell

Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Defenders Clinic at CUNY School of Law

Nicole Smith Futrell is a Clinical Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, where she also serves as Director of the Post-Conviction and Reentry Justice Clinic. Her scholarship examines how organizing and advocacy on behalf of socially subordinated communities shape the rules, policies, and institutional practices of the criminal legal system. Professor Smith Futrell has written and spoken extensively on the legal profession’s responsibility to confront post-incarceration racial inequities, the role of prosecutorial misconduct in wrongful convictions, and the intersections of systemic advocacy, professional ethics, and clinical pedagogy. Her work has appeared in publications including the North Carolina Law Review, N.Y.U. Review of Law & Social Change, and the Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law, among others. Before joining the faculty at Columbia Law School, Professor Smith Futrell was a Professor of Law at CUNY School of Law, where she co-directed the Defenders Clinic and served as Faculty Director of the Center for Diversity in the Legal Profession and the W. Haywood Burns Chair in Human and Civil Rights Program. In 2022, she received a Writing as Activism Fellowship from the NYC Literary Action Coalition and PEN America. She began her legal career as a staff attorney with The Bronx Defenders.

Christine Gooden

Vice President, Operational Risk and Strategy at BNP Paribas

Christine Gooden is Vice President, Operational Risk and Strategy at BNP Paribas. In this role, Christine is primarily responsible for management of audit activities impacting the Global Banking Americas business lines. Additionally, she is tasked with formalizing and directing the governance framework for regulatory topics impacting the businesses she covers. In her commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, Christine also serves as Co-Chair for the Black Organization for Leadership & Development (“BOLD”) Employee Resource Group at BNP. Christine has spent her professional career in the financial services industry, working in a number of different roles and functions, including, Community Relations, Business & Industry Practices and Regulatory Relations. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut.

Omar Khan

Partner, WilmerHale LLP

As a litigation partner and a member of the Appellate and Intellectual Property Litigation groups at WilmerHale, LLP, Mr. Khan represents clients in a broad range of complex and high-stakes intellectual property matters at the trial and appellate levels. He has successfully litigated some of the largest and most important intellectual property matters for today’s leaders in the biotechnology, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, computer hardware and software, telecommunications and financial services industries. His courtroom experience includes jury and bench trials in federal district courts, PTAB proceedings, ITC proceedings, and domestic and international arbitrations. Mr. Khan also has an extensive pro bono practice for which he has received numerous awards and recognitions, including from the Federal Circuit Bar Association, MFY Legal Services and the New York State Bar Association.

Kyle Harris

Partner, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

Kyle A. Harris is a partner and member of the mergers and acquisitions group at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP. He represents public and private companies and investors in domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and other complex corporate transactions. He also regularly advises companies and their boards on fiduciary duties, corporate governance matters, and shareholder activism and takeover defense. He has been recognized in The Legal 500 in the M&A: Large Deals ($1bn+) category and named a “Rising Star” in M&A by Law360, The Deal, and Expert Guides. Kyle is also active in the firm’s pro bono practice and educational pipeline initiatives. He is a member of the New York State Attorney General’s Pro Bono Task Force for Reproductive Health and oversees Cleary’s partnership with the Washington Irving Campus of high schools.

Grace O’Donnell

Counsel, Hearst Corporation

Grace O’Donnell is counsel at the Hearst Corporation. She handles a wide array of labor and employment matters, including litigating employment-related disputes, ensuring compliance with employment laws, conducting internal investigations, and drafting employment agreements and policies. She also has experience conducting Title IX investigations. Grace received her B.A. from the College of William and Mary and her J.D. from the University of Virginia. She is a member of the Labor & Employment Law Section of the American Bar Association.

Leke Osinubi

Managing Director, Goldman Sachs

Mr. Osinubi is chief risk officer for the Core Engineering business unit at Goldman Sachs, where he is responsible for technology risk governance and measurement. He also serves as co-chair of the Black Engineers Network. Previously, Mr. Osinubi managed the Technology Risk Measurement Operations team, responsible for risk and control services, internal and external audit management, and establishing analytics for anomaly detection and risk thematics. He joined Goldman Sachs as a vice president in 2012 and was named managing director in 2017. Prior to joining the firm, Leke worked as a senior manager in the Securities Technologies Practices Group at Accenture. Leke earned a B.S. in Computer Engineering and Information Systems Technology from Syracuse University in 2001.

Abbe Smith, Esq.

Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center

Professor Smith is Director of the Criminal Defense and Prisoner Advocacy Clinic, Co-Director of the E. Barrett Prettyman Fellowship Program, and Professor of Law at Georgetown University, where she has been on the faculty since 1996. Professor Smith teaches and writes on criminal defense, legal ethics, juvenile justice, and clinical legal education. In addition to numerous law journal articles, she has authored and co-authored several publications, including Case of a Lifetime: A Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Story, Understanding Lawyers’ Ethics, and Beyond the Rodney King Story: An Investigation of Police Conduct In Minority Communities. Professor Smith is actively engaged in indigent defense—as both a clinical supervisor and member of the Criminal Justice Act panel for the DC Superior Court—and frequently presents at public defender and legal aid training programs in the US and abroad.

David Patton

Partner at Hecker Fink LLP

David Patton is a partner at Hecker Fink LLP, who has represented hundreds of clients in federal and state courts during his 25-year career. David joined the firm after serving as Executive Director and Attorney-in-Chief of the Federal Defenders of New York for twelve years, in which time he oversaw the work of federal public defenders in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. David is also fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, and a member of the American Law Institute. In addition to his work as a trial lawyer, David has testified before Congress on multiple occasions, served as the chair of the federal defender legislative committee, and was a member of the national committee that guides policy on behalf of federal defenders. David is currently an adjunct professor at New York University School of Law where he teaches a seminar on legal ethics.

Shaolee Sen

Head of Small Business in Global Philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase

Shaolee Sen serves as the Head of Small Business in Global Philanthropy, Corporate Responsibility, at JP Morgan Chase & Co. She is responsible for developing and implementing the firm’s small business philanthropic strategy, managing a national philanthropy portfolio, and fostering key relationships with business, government, and nonprofit leaders. The philanthropic strategy includes increasing small business owner access to the full capital stack, supply chains, and successful exits and/or acquisitions to foster business growth and entrepreneurship. Her previous roles include CEO of Hot Bread Kitchen, where she led the organization’s growth strategy, and Executive Vice President at Accion U.S. Network, where she ran national programs to support business coaching and capital for entrepreneurs. Early in her career, Shaolee co-founded the Family Defense Project at The Bronx Defenders, securing funding and designing interdisciplinary programs for holistic family defense in the justice system. She holds an MBA from the University of California Berkeley and a BA in Political Science and Women’s Studies from Barnard College.

Leadership Team

JUVAL O. SCOTT

Executive Director

JUVAL O. SCOTT is the Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders, a holistic public defense office. Immediately prior to joining The Bronx Defenders, she was the director of the National Sentencing Resource Counsel where she led a team of attorneys and a data specialist who formulated sentencing policy, engaged with the United States Sentencing Commission and other stakeholder agencies and organizations, and provided training and sentencing litigation support to federal defense practitioners throughout the country. She was also previously appointed by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to serve as the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Virginia. She has also taught Evidence, Fourth Amendment and Technology, and Criminal Procedure Adjudication as an adjunct professor at the Washington & Lee School of Law. Prior to her appointment as Federal Public Defender, she was an Attorney Advisor with the Training Division of the Defender Services Office in Washington, DC. Before joining the Training Division, she was an Assistant Federal Defender in the Milwaukee office of the Federal Defender Services of Wisconsin, Inc. and with the Indiana Federal Community Defenders in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Juval received her law degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, and she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana. She regularly teaches at local CJA panel trainings and programs sponsored by the Defender Services Office Training Division, as well as The National Criminal Defense College, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and their state affiliates, and other organizations dedicated to criminal legal and reform issues.

ANNIE PINEDA

Director of Pro Bono

ANNIE PINEDA is Director of Pro Bono at The Bronx Defenders. In this role, she is responsible for developing, managing and overseeing the organization’s pro bono relationships with major law firms and corporations across all practice areas. Before joining The Bronx Defenders as Director of Pro Bono, Annie worked as the Assistant Director of the Center for Public Service Law at Cardozo Law School and as a staff attorney in the Civil Action Practice of The Bronx Defenders. As staff attorney, Annie assisted clients with the numerous civil consequences that arise out of the initiation of criminal and family court cases and provided representation in administrative and state court proceedings on the issues of housing, public benefits, education, employment, debt collection, and child support. Annie is co-founder and past chair of the Public Interest Pro Bono Association (PIPBA) and is a frequent speaker at national convenings and conferences. Annie received her J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and her B.A. from the University of Michigan where she studied Sociology with a specialization in law, criminology and social deviance.

ANTHONY CHIARITO

Managing Director of Strategic Communications

ANTHONY CHIARITO is the Managing Director of Strategic Communications at The Bronx Defenders. In this role, Anthony oversees the organization’s media relations, digital engagement, and narrative change strategies to advance The Bronx Defenders’ legal defense and advocacy priorities. Prior to joining The Bronx Defenders, Anthony oversaw communications for immigration advocacy at the Vera Institute of Justice. There he helped lead a coalition that stopped the Biden administration from terminating the Flores regulations and supported the launch of a national campaign for immigrant rights. Before that, he was a Communications and Legislative Director in the New York City Council where he supported efforts to close Rikers Island without new jails, stop the expansion of surveillance through the IDNYC, and pass first-in-the-nation labor protections for deliveristas. A native Spanish speaker, Anthony earned an MA from Columbia University’s School of International & Public Affairs, and a BA from The Johns Hopkins University.

AMARAH SEDREDDINE

General Counsel

AMARAH SEDREDDINE is General Counsel at The Bronx Defenders. In this role, Amarah provides comprehensive legal counsel and strategic guidance to the organization. She is informed in this work by her extensive expertise advising nonprofit organizations developed over the course of her career in the public sector and combines a deep rigor and knowledge of the law with a uniquely practical and personal approach. Prior to founding Sedreddine & Whoriskey, LLP, Amarah held roles as outside corporate counsel to Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, assistant general counsel at the Vera Institute of Justice, and associate general counsel at The New York Community Trust. She started her career at Morrison & Foerster, LLP, in its corporate and M&A practice groups, before moving to the Mann Legal Group, LLC, where she focused her practice exclusively on providing corporate counsel to tax-exempt organizations. Amarah also currently chairs the Government Relations Council of Nonprofit New York, where she engages with law- and policymakers on matters of relevance to the nonprofit sector, and served as Chair of the New York City Bar Association’s Nonprofit Organizations Committee from 2019-2022. Amarah graduated from Princeton University and New York University School of Law, eventually serving as co-faculty of its Business Law and Transactions Clinic, supervising the work of third-year law students providing pro bono legal services to tax-exempt organizations. Amarah is admitted to practice in New York.

ANN MATHEWS

Managing Director of the Criminal Defense Practice

ANN MATHEWS is the Managing Director of the Criminal Defense Practice at The Bronx Defenders. In this role, Ann oversees the organization’s advocacy on behalf of people who are arrested on state criminal charges in the Bronx. Before joining The Bronx Defenders, Ann clerked for the Honorable M. Blane Michael of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and spent several years as a Litigation Associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in New York. Ann graduated magna cum laude from New York University School of Law. While at NYU, she participated in the New York Capital Defender Clinic and was an Articles Editor for the NYU Law Review. She also received a graduate degree in journalism from Columbia University. Before attending law school, Ann worked as a Legislative Assistant on Capitol Hill and spent a year in Lusaka, Zambia working on a public health project. Ann received her undergraduate degree from Columbia, where she majored in Middle Eastern Languages and Culture.

BRITTANY MCCOY

Managing Director of Policy

BRITTANY MCCOY is the Managing Director of Policy at The Bronx Defenders. In this role, Brittany directs the organization’s policy advocacy, which includes developing solutions to legal entanglement, coalition building, legislative drafting and consulting, lobbying, advocating to the media and testifying before legislative bodies. As a proud Bronx native, Brittany’s passion for politics, policy and activism was shaped by the movement to end unconstitutional Stop- and- Frisk tactics in New York City and the national fight for justice following the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Prior to her management role, Brittany served as a Policy Associate, Interim Communications Associate, Anti-Oppression Team Associate and Interdisciplinary Policy Director at The Bronx Defenders. Brittany’s early political experience spans both New York and Virginia where she worked across all levels of government and several electoral campaigns focusing on criminal legal system reform, youth development and community engagement, and mobilizing young voters. She is a proud graduate of Virginia State University where she earned a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Pre-Law, and she also holds a Public Policy Certificate from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Public Policy Program.

CAROLYN STRUDWICK

Managing Director of Social Work

CAROLYN STRUDWICK is the Managing Director of Social Work at The Bronx Defenders. A social worker with over 27 years of experience working with homeless and at-risk youth, Carolyn oversees the organization’s social workers, who are essential members of our holistic defense teams, working alongside attorneys and advocates to develop strategies grounded in each person’s circumstances, strengths, and goals. Carolyn approaches the work with a social justice-harm reduction framework utilizing a trauma-informed and anti-oppression lens to address structural and institutional racism. Carolyn began her career in social services as an Outreach Worker and Case Manager at Safe Horizon’s Youth Program, the Streetwork Project. She then worked as Associate Vice-President for youth programs while serving on the organization’s Program and Senior Team. In this role, Carolyn developed an anti-oppression framework and Transformative Justice approach to address violence and abuse in youth. Carolyn has been a prominent voice and figure in the Runaway and Homeless Youth Movement, serving on various advocacy groups, such as the Coalition for Homeless Youth; providing testimony to City Council; and advocating for legislation and policy around the needs of youth. As a Harm Reductionist, she champions the rights of drug users and sex workers. She also participates in the Downstate Racial Justice Committee which reviews policies and legislation brought to the larger Downstate legislative body from Albany to ensure there are no racial impacts on communities of color. Carolyn graduated from Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work, where she earned an MA in Social Work specializing in Community Organizing and Planning. She serves as an Adjunct Professor in the social work department at Hunter College.

JAIRO SANTANA

Director of Information Technology

JAIRO SANTANA is the Director of Information Technology at The Bronx Defenders, where he leads the organization’s technology vision and ensures that IT strategy strengthens operations, supports advocacy, and advances the organization’s long-term goals. Jairo specializes in understanding how people, systems, and processes connect—and translating that understanding into solutions that reduce friction, modernize workflows, and empower staff to serve the Bronx community more effectively. Jairo began his career as a full-stack programmer, building and delivering web platforms based on real-world user needs. That early work taught him how systems are constructed, how people interact with technology, and how good design and clear logic shape successful outcomes. Over time, this intersection of technical depth and human-centered insight evolved into a leadership approach focused on diagnosing organizational challenges, aligning stakeholders, and creating multi-year strategies that guide teams through change and growth. Before joining The Bronx Defenders, Jairo worked in development and consulting roles, producing digital solutions for a range of clients and sharpening his ability to translate complex requirements into purposeful systems. He holds a BA in Information Systems along with multiple technical certifications, and brings a vision-driven, systems-thinking perspective to organizational leadership, technology governance, and strategic planning.

KARLA OSTOLAZA

Managing Director of the Immigration Defense Practice

KARLA OSTOLAZA is the Managing Director of the Immigration Defense Practice at The Bronx Defenders. In this role, Karla oversees the legal defense and advocacy of immigrant New Yorkers, including as part of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP), the first universal representation program for immigrants in the country. Prior to joining the management team, Karla supervised a staff of attorneys and paralegals representing people in detained removal proceedings through NYIFUP, provided immigration advice to people with pending criminal and family court matters, and assisted community members with their immigration cases through community intake. Karla also worked at the Legal Aid Society and was an Immigrant Justice Corps fellow. She received her JD from Cardozo School of Law and holds a BA in Art History from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras.

MARTERRA WALKER

Managing Director of Administration

MARTERRA WALKER is the Managing Director of Administration at The Bronx Defenders. With more than a decade of administrative expertise and extensive leadership experience, she provides executive oversight for the organization’s administrative infrastructure, guiding the teams that support attorneys and advocates across all practice areas and departments. Her leadership ensures operational excellence, organizational cohesion, and a seamless foundation for client-centered advocacy. Known for her strategic vision and operational discipline, Marterra advances organization-wide administrative systems, structures, and efficiencies that strengthen holistic defense. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a Concentration in Law and Due Process from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, earned an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership through The New York Community Trust, and is a graduate of Cause Effective’s Next Generation: Fundraising Activation for Rising Leaders of Color program.

ROBYN MAR

Deputy Executive Director

ROBYN MAR is Deputy Executive Director at The Bronx Defenders. In this capacity, Robyn oversees the office’s direct service practice areas, including criminal defense, family defense, immigration, social work, and advocacy in housing, employment, and other civil matters. Beforehand, Robyn served in a variety of roles in the Criminal Defense Practice, including as a staff attorney, practice supervisor, Director of Early Advocacy, Deputy Managing Director and interdisciplinary Training Team Leader. Robyn has also taught Persuasion and Advocacy at Seton Hall University School of Law as an adjunct professor. Robyn graduated from New York University School of Law and Columbia University. At NYU, Robyn participated in the Juvenile Defender Clinic, representing children in the Bronx, and the Capital Defender Clinic; served as an Executive Editor of the Review of Law & Social Change; and was a teaching assistant for the late Professor Derrick Bell.

TRISHA TRIGILIO

Director of Impact Litigation

TRISHA TRIGILIO is the Director of Impact Litigation at The Bronx Defenders. In this role, Trisha oversees the organization’s efforts to identify, develop, and litigate challenges to systemic violations and injustices that affect the communities we represent, including racially discriminatory policing, government seizure of property, lack of access to counsel and due process rights, curtailment of parental rights in family court proceedings, and immigration abuses. Prior to this role, Trisha was a senior staff attorney with the Criminal Law Reform Project at the ACLU, where she led its national litigation on bail reform, pretrial release, and the right to counsel at first appearance. Before that, Trisha was a senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas and an instructor at the University of Texas School of Law Civil Rights Clinic. Her prior work includes litigation successfully challenging criminalization of homelessness, debtors’ prison, and inhumane prison conditions. Trisha was a law clerk for the Honorable J. Paul Oetken and the Office of Pro Se Litigation in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She is a graduate of New York University College of Arts and Science and New York University School of Law.

ZIARA Y. ESCALERA

Director of Operations and Facilities

ZIARA Y. ESCALERA is the Director of Operations and Facilities at The Bronx Defenders, where she helps lead the infrastructure, facilities, safety, and day-to-day operational systems that support staff and community members.

A Bronx native, Ziara began her journey with The Bronx Defenders in a temporary reception role and has since advanced through various positions over the course of her tenure. Her professional journey reflects her dedication to the organization, its mission, and the people it serves. She is passionate about supporting the work of The Bronx Defenders and the Bronx community.

Before joining The Bronx Defenders, Ziara served as a Department/Floor Manager at FAO Schwarz, overseeing floor operations and supporting special events for high-profile clients and celebrities.

Outside of her professional responsibilities, Ziara enjoys spending time with her family. Her connection to the Bronx and her commitment to the people who call it home continue to shape her work and approach to leadership.

EMMA KETTERINGHAM

Managing Director of the Family Defense Practice

EMMA KETTERINGHAM started at The Bronx Defenders as a criminal defense attorney and is now the Managing Director of the Family Defense Practice. In this role, Emma supervises attorneys, social workers, and parent advocates who represent parents accused of child abuse and neglect and are facing possible termination of parental rights. Emma also participates in numerous court-based and independent coalitions to develop pro-family policies and practices in New York City. Prior to joining The Bronx Defenders, Emma worked as the Director of Legal Advocacy for National Advocates for Pregnant Women where she was counsel and strategist on criminal and civil cases at the intersection of the wars on women and drugs. She has also worked as a litigation associate at Lansner and Kubitschek, where she represented parents and children in civil rights actions in state and federal court, and at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, where she worked on complex civil litigation. Emma is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law. Upon graduation, she clerked first in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine and then at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Emma holds a BA in Political Science from Trinity College.

JOHN DUMEY

Managing Director of Development

JOHN DUMEY is the Managing Director of Development at The Bronx Defenders. He is a native New Yorker, nonprofit executive, fundraiser, and communicator with more than 20 years of experience helping mission-driven organizations grow revenue, strengthen partnerships, tell powerful stories, and expand their impact.

Over his career, he has had the honor of serving organizations working across criminal justice, youth development, and community-based
advocacy, including The Innocence Project, Equal Justice Initiative, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, and The Brotherhood Sister
Sol. His work has spanned fundraising strategy, major gifts, institutional giving, board engagement, capital campaigns, communications, events, and building the development infrastructure organizations need to grow and sustain their work.

John lives in Queens with his wife – who introduced him to fundraising more than 20 years ago – and their two baseball-obsessed children. Outside of work, much of his time is spent shuttling his kids around
New York City to baseball fields and training facilities. When he’s not at a baseball field, he can usually be found watching baseball or
basketball, playing Minecraft or Fortnite with his kids, or taking on a home project he probably underestimated.

LIJO VARGHESE

Chief Financial Officer

LIJO VARGHESE is the Chief Financial Officer at The Bronx Defenders. Lijo was born and raised in southern India. There he earned a Master of Finance from Bharathiar University, where he was named Salutatorian. He went on to complete his Post-Graduate Diploma in Computer Application (PGDCA). Lijo continued his education in Australia at La Trobe University in Melbourne, where he earned his Master of Accounting and Financial Management. Lijo joined Bronx Defenders in September 2023. For over a decade, he has worked for non-profit organizations in the Bronx and New York City and served different financial roles such as Accountant, Audit Manager, Director and CFO. He believes strongly in BxD’s mission of helping people and is proud to be a part of a great team that strives to better the social lives of many.

PAULETTE FORTE

Chief People and Equity Officer

PAULETTE FORTE is Chief People and Equity Officer at The Bronx Defenders. As CPEO, Paulette leads all human resources and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at the organization to ensure staff are provided with the same level of fierce dedication to their talents, growth, and well-being as they serve the people of the Bronx. Her rich career developing and leading People and Talent capabilities began in counseling adults and adolescents in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings and college counseling centers. After her clinical experience, she transitioned into administrative roles in health and human service agencies in New York City. Paulette has also worked in a variety of industries including media, entertainment, sports, and marketing. Paulette has a BA in Psychology from Prairie View A&M University, an MS in Counseling from The State University of New York at Albany, and a PhD in Psychology from Columbia University.

RUNA RAJAGOPAL

Managing Director of the Civil Action Practice

Runa Rajagopal is the Managing Director of the Civil Action Practice at The Bronx Defenders, where she leads one of the most innovative and collaborative interdisciplinary civil defense practices in the country, with more than 55 attorneys, advocates, social workers, and specialists who fight the enmeshed civil consequences of arrests, family policing, and immigration enforcement. A leading architect of the emerging movement of Civil Public Defenders, Runa’s leadership dismantles silos, builds intersectional and community-rooted advocacy, and strengthens the fabric of civil public defense as a national field. Under her direction, the Civil Action Practice has tripled in size, and year over year, it protects thousands of Bronx residents from eviction, benefit loss, employment suspension, property forfeiture, and police abuse. Her team is a cornerstone of shaping holistic housing defense in New York City’s historic Right to Counsel movement, and in securing essential benefits and stabilizing services for nearly two thousand community members annually. Prior to joining BxD in 2011, Runa was a staff attorney in the Mental Health Law Project at Mobilization for Justice (formerly MFY). She is the author of Diary of a Civil Public Defender, and recipient of the 2021 Milstein Award for Professional Excellence and the 2016 NYC Bar Association Legal Services Award. She earned her J.D. from American University Washington College of Law.

WESLEY CAINES

Deputy Executive Director

WESLEY CAINES is a Bronx native and the Deputy Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders. As Deputy Executive Director, Wesley oversees the organization’s mission to redefine public defense by leveraging its nationally recognized and groundbreaking model of holistic defense to not only zealously represent low-income people in Bronx criminal, family, immigration, and civil courts, but to help prevent people from ending up in the legal system altogether. His nearly twelve-year career in public defense started with his development of an innovative Records Accuracy Project (R.A.P.) at the Brooklyn Defender Services, which enlisted local area law students to identify and correct RAP Sheet errors. At The Bronx Defenders, he has founded several of the organization’s most important projects, including the Community Engagement Team, the Bronx Leadership & Organizing Center (BLOC), and the Bronx Cannabis Hub. Through his leadership, The Bronx Defenders also restructured and built out its policy, communications, impact litigation, and community engagement work. A graduate of Bard College and New York Theological Seminary, Wesley is frequently invited to speak across the country and sits on nearly a dozen Boards where he lends his expertise and exceptional personal journey to empower underserved communities as they become creative self-advocates for social change.

Financials

The Bronx Defenders is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In adherence to transparency standards, our recent and past Financial Statements and IRS Form 990 filings are available for public viewing. For more information about The Bronx Defenders, please contact us at (718) 838-7878.

IRS Form 990

Audited Financial Statements

Careers

Join Our Team

We are always looking for dedicated, passionate, and innovative people who are willing to represent the people of the Bronx, or advocate for their interests beyond the courtroom. Check out the positions or internships that are currently available at The Bronx Defenders.

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