Who We Are
We are a collective of plaintiff-side civil rights attorneys, criminal defense attorneys, and attorneys who work for legal non-profits. We work together to better serve over-policed New York communities and those who exercise their rights in defense of these communities.
Together, our members have fought worsening conditions at upstate prisons and Rikers Island, won millions on behalf of protesters for Black lives in the summer of 2020, and secured the release of Palestinian activists unlawfully detained by ICE.
While our focus is on New York, we are affiliated with the National Police Accountability Project and support other civil rights attorneys organizing collective efforts in their locales.
Our Approach
We believe that a collaborative approach is needed to win systemic change and transform the civil rights bar to more closely resemble the communities we represent. We are also acutely aware of the urgent need for many more like-minded civil rights attorneys to represent the thousands of clients whose rights have been violated by New York law enforcement.
To that end, we invite experienced, inspired, and up-and-coming civil rights attorneys, public defenders, law students, paralegals, and legal workers to join us, share their knowledge, and, if you choose, engage in our mentorship program.
As a member you will have the opportunity to:
Gain access to a listserv for strategizing, and for sharing resources such as documents, pleadings, and motion papers
Attend affordable, high quality CLEs
Connect with clients and public defender services
Mentor new attorneys or be mentored
Participate in monthly roundtables to discuss case strategy