Attorney, Women’s Defense Project, CDP

Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) is seeking an attorney to join the Women’s Defense Project (WDP) in the Criminal Defense Practice. 

BDS is a public defense office representing low-income New Yorkers in criminal, family, immigration, and civil legal matters. Our work with clients is focused on the intersection of the legal systems that disproportionately impact people in Brooklyn who are primarily Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) living below the poverty level.

BDS represents thousands of people each year who have diverse, complex, and multi-faceted legal needs. In addition to a zealous legal defense, our interdisciplinary teams of attorneys, social workers and advocates provide a wide range of legal and advocacy services, including housing, public benefits, education, and employment. BDS staff work collaboratively and across disciplines to deliver high-quality legal services that serve the people we represent, their families and communities in Brooklyn.

The Women’s Defense Project is an interdisciplinary team of attorneys and social workers who serve cisgender and transgender women who have experienced a history of violence, exploitation and abuse that has directly or indirectly led to their involvement in the criminal legal system. Attorneys in the unit represent women who are arrested in Brooklyn Criminal and Supreme Courts. In addition, attorneys explore and implement all avenues of relief available including START motions, DVSJA applications and other relief specific to trafficking victims. 

The role of the attorney will be focused on helping clients obtain relief under New York’s START Act. The START Act- (Survivors of Trafficking Attaining Relief Together) is a New York law that allows victims of trafficking to apply via motion to the court to vacate any of their prior convictions that are related to being a victim of trafficking. The attorney will work within WDP and in coordination with a paralegal to identify and conduct outreach to past and current clients who may be eligible for relief under the START Act. This role involves working directly with clients to draft, prepare, and submit START motions, as well as educating BDS staff about the START motion process.

Responsibilities

• Work with staff across the office to identify past and current clients who may be eligible for START relief.
• Work with the WDP paralegal to develop an outreach tool to notify past clients of potential relief and explain how to connect for an eligibility assessment.
• Interview clients and collateral contacts and gather supporting documentation and information for START motions.
• Draft and submit START motions to the appropriate prosecutor's office and court.
• Accompany clients to any proffer sessions requested by the prosecutor's office.
• Participate in citywide START working groups.
• Additional responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications 

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree.
• Admitted to practice in New York, or ability to become admitted.
• At least one year of legal experience, as a criminal defense attorney or working with people who have experienced gender-based violence. 
• Candidates should be self-starters and have familiarity with or willingness to learn about post-conviction and vacatur relief.
• Compassionate, resourceful, and skilled at building trusting relationships with clients while navigating complex, high-pressure systems.
• Strong writing and legal research skills.
• Ability to think critically, constructively, and creatively in applying the law.
• Excellent interviewing skills and an understanding of how trauma manifests within this client population are also key to success in this role.

Position Information

This is an exempt, salaried position in the collective bargaining unit. The normal schedule is Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. The position is based at BDS’s offices and the courts located in Downtown Brooklyn. Additionally, occasional travel to the Queens office may be necessary.

BDS determines salary on a pay scale based on education and experience. For this position there is a salary range of approximately $100,000-$109,000 for attorneys who graduated law school in 2022 or thereafter. BDS offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance and a 403(b) retirement plan. In order to support work/life balance and family-friendly policies, BDS has generous vacation, sick, holiday, family, and medical leave policies.

Application Instructions 

Click “Apply Now” to submit a cover letter and resume. 

Please submit your application by Monday, November 16, 2026. 

Brooklyn Defender Services is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to celebrating diversity and maintaining an equitable and inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, expressions, orientations, disabilities, and experiences to apply. If you need an accommodation due to a disability or another reason, please contact the Managing Director of Human Resources, Christina Wallace, at cwallace @ bds.org.