- About Us
- What We Do
- Special Projects
- Clemency
- Federal Litigation Advisory Group
- Forensic Science Project
- Immigrant Justice Practice
- Impact Litigation Project
- Access to Appeals
- Justice First Project
- Legislation Committee
- Racial Justice Project
- SORA
- Survivors Advocacy Practice
- The Plea Project
- Youth and Emergent Adult Resentencing Project
- Youthful Offender Reapplication Project
- For Clients & Families
- For the Legal Community
Promise
The worst has happened. You’ve been convicted, sentenced, and are now living in a correctional facility far away from family, friends, and the life you knew.
Maybe you’re worried about what will happen to your loved ones in your absence. Maybe you’re worried that your health will fail, or that you’ll never adjust to the demands of institutional life. You want someone to look carefully at what happened along the way. To be on your side.
We can help. Here is our promise.
We Look Forward To Working With you.
We won’t lie to you.
The appellate process is difficult. Appellate courts are reluctant to overturn jury verdicts or undo guilty pleas. We can't promise success, but we’ll do our absolute best to ensure that the Appellate Division clearly sees the errors that were made in the course of your trial, plea, or sentencing. Our attorneys are dedicated professionals who have chosen to devote their careers to public service. They’re creative legal thinkers and skilled writers who get results.
We’ll take it as far as we can.
Winning in the Appellate Division is hard. If we lose, we’ll file an application for leave to appeal to the highest court in New York State, the Court of Appeals. In some cases, we’ve done petitions for certiorari to the United States Supreme Court, Article 440 motions in the trial court, and habeas corpus petitions in federal district court.
Information is power.
We have resources for you and your family. Our brochure on the appellate process explains in clear terms what you can expect in this part of your legal journey. Our re-entry pamphlet explains the services we offer upon release. Easily accessible resources provide vital information for you and your loved ones. The strains of incarceration and release are many. We have resources to guide you in seeking help when it’s too much to manage alone.
We’ll work with you.
We know the law and we know our courts. But we view the appellate process as collaborative. We care about what you think. If you have ideas of your own, we’ll listen, research, and discuss. We want your voice to be heard.
We know your life is complicated.
Your legal problems are only a part of your life. We can’t help you with everything, but we’re committed to helping you where we can. If you experience a problem while incarcerated — be it medication that you need or a transfer that you desperately want — our conditions of confinement project can help you seek a remedy. If you are serving an indeterminate prison sentence and have a parole board appearance coming up, our parole advocacy project will write a comprehensive letter on your behalf and help you prepare for your Board appearance. If you have an upcoming release date, our re-entry program will work with you to facilitate the challenging transition to civilian life. If you would simply like something to read, our Books Beyond Bars project can help.