COD Membership

The Community Oriented Defender Network was created by the Brennan Center for Justice as a way to strengthen the provision of defender services in honor of the 40th anniversary of Gideon in 2003. Since its inception, the Network has grown from 8 to over 50 programs dedicated to ensuring quality legal representation in the criminal system, and is poised for further growth. These “community oriented defenders” share the view that representation of individuals charged with crimes is made more effective by a deep engagement of defenders with the communities in which their clients live.

Community oriented defenders zealously advocate for their clients by protecting and advancing their legal rights and by advancing creative problem-solving strategies to break the cycle of poverty, arrest and incarceration, enhance clients’ life opportunities, strengthen families and communities, and increase public safety. Everyone who is involved in public defense today is aware of the painful reality of diminished funding for the provision of constitutionally-required legal representation. By deploying community-oriented strategies that reduce excessive reliance on incarceration, and promote stable, productive lives, defenders may better serve their clients while conserving public funds.

I have read the Ten Principles of Community Oriented Defense and I would like to become a member. COD members will be invited to join our COD listserv to share information about COD events, activities and resources. COD members will also be invited to attend the annual convening of COD members.

The Brennan Center will be posting a public list of COD network members to encourage communication among and with COD members. If you do NOT want to be included in this public list but would still like to receive the Brennan Center’s news updates on the COD network, please email meghna.philip@nyu.edu.

 

Ten Principles of Community Oriented Defense

 

Introduction

Developed by the Brennan Center in consultation with members of the Community Oriented Defender (COD) Network's Advisory group, the Ten Principles of Community Oriented Defense identifies the goals of participants in the COD Network.  We hope it will serve as a useful tool to inspire staff, educate the public, and build the capacity of the COD movement to make a difference for clients, families and communities.      

Principles

Members of the COD Network, recognizing that community oriented defense services may take many forms (reflecting local imperatives, unique office priorities, resource constraints, and other factors), embrace the following goals:

1.  Create a Client-Centered Practice - We aspire to employ a diverse group of attorneys, investigators, social workers and other advocates who respect their clients' wishes and goals, and who work together to ensure that the dignity of every client is honored.

2.  Meet Clients' Needs - We seek to promote the life success of every client by:  identifying educational gaps, mental health issues, addiction, and other needs, and linking clients with resources, opportunities, and services to meet those needs.

3.  Partner with the Community - We seek to maintain a local presence in the communities we serve, and to form relationships with community members, community based organizations, and community institutions (e.g., courts, schools, government, health care providers and employers) to improve case and life outcomes for clients and to strengthen families and communities.

4.  Fix Systemic Problems - We aspire to change policies that harm clients, families and communities (e.g., policing practices that produce racial and ethnic disparities in arrest rates).

5.  Educate the Public - We seek to describe the human impact of the criminal justice system to policymakers, journalists, and others so that the public can better appreciate the cost to individuals, communities, and the nation of "tough on crime" policies.

6.  Collaborate - We aim to create partnerships with likely and unlikely allies, including prosecutors, victims, faith-based organizations, and national and state based legal aid organizations to share ideas, promote change, and support mutual efforts.

7.  Address Civil Legal Needs - We seek to promote access to civil legal services to resolve clients' legal concerns in such areas as housing, immigration, family court, and public benefits, occasioned by involvement with the criminal justice system.

8.  Pursue a Multidisciplinary Approach - We aspire to engage not only lawyers but also social workers, counselors, medical practitioners, investigators and others to address the needs of clients, their families and communities.

9.  Seek Necessary Support - We seek essential funding, professionally approved workload limits, and other resources and structures sufficient to enable the COD model to succeed.

10.  Engage with Fellow COD Members - We are dedicated to sharing ideas, research and models to help advance the COD movement locally and nationally in order to maximize its benefits for clients, families and communities.

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* The COD advisory group includes:

Edwin Burnette, Vice President, Defender Legal Services, National Legal Aid & Defender Association, former Cook County Public Defender

Lisa Daugaard, Deputy Director, Racial Disparity Program, Defender Association of Seattle

Joshua Dohan, Director, Youth Advocacy Department of the Committee for Public Counsel Services

Heather Horton Hall, Special Projects Advisor, Louisiana Defender Board, former Director of the Louisiana Justice Coalition

Rick Jones, Executive Director, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem

William (Bill) Leahy, Chief Counsel, Committee for Public Counsel Services

Robin Steinberg, Founding Director, The Bronx Defenders

John Stuart, Minnesota State Public Defender

Download a PDF of the COD Ten Principles