Founded in 1997, The Bronx Defenders is a public defender nonprofit that has developed a nationally recognized model of representation called holistic defense, which provides people with teams of lawyers, social workers, and advocates to defend them zealously in court as well as to address the underlying drivers and enmeshed penalties of legal system involvement. 

Since opening our doors, we have grown into an organization of more than 400 staff members defending nearly 20,000 New Yorkers each year in criminal, family, civil, and immigration proceedings who face incarceration, family separation, eviction, and deportation, among other devastating consequences. 

Today we are reimagining the role of public defense even further, using community organizing and engagement, legislative advocacy, and impact litigation to partner with the communities we represent to bring about long-lasting systemic change. 

We also share our model and lessons learned with current and future public defenders. We run two legal clinics at NYC law schools and train public defenders from one end of the country to the next on how to move to a holistic model of representation. 
 
 

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

OPEN POSITIONS 

Entry-Level Attorney Positions - Training Team 2026 

Every year, from May through October, The Bronx Defenders accepts applications from third-year law students and recent graduates for criminal, family, and civil practices. Interviews will take place through the beginning of December, and the selected interdisciplinary class of entry-level attorneys and advocates starts in September of the following year.  Please apply here. 

Lateral/Experienced Attorney Applicants 

We are currently accepting applications for lateral staff attorney positions in our Civil Action Practice and Family Defense Practice. Please see the related job announcements below for details on the available positions and the application process. 

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and decisions will be made as soon as appropriate candidates are identified  
 

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 

Summer 2026 Legal Internship Opportunities  

Every year, from May through October, The Bronx Defenders accepts applications from second-year law students for criminal, family, civil, immigration and impact litigation practices. Interviews will take place through the end of October/first week of November, and our robust summer internship programming will begin in May/June of the following year. Please apply through your on-campus interviewing program or the nearest career fair if possible and submit your application here. Please check our listings below during the application period and follow the instructions to apply. 

HOW TO APPLY 

To apply for positions with The Bronx Defenders, please view our Job Listings below, select the position(s) of interest, and follow the instructions to apply. To apply, please click APPLY TO THIS JOB ONLINE and upload your resume and cover letter in one document. Your cover letter should share why you want to do this work at our office, as well as some key lived and/or professional experiences that have prepared you for this position. Your resume will be used to determine your salary based on the number of years of directly relevant professional experience and should include all relevant professional experience. Applications without a written cover letter will not be considered.     

If you encounter difficulty, please click the Applications FAQ link at the bottom of the page. 

For additional questions regarding employment opportunities at The Bronx Defenders, please contact the Recruiting Department at hiring@bronxdefenders.org. No phone calls, please. 

The Bronx Defenders is an equal opportunity employer and is cultivating an anti-oppressive workplace that embraces staff with a diversity of backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We acknowledge the ways in which systemic oppression and injustice can undermine access to professional opportunities and are committed to conducting hiring and promotion processes that are equitable and accessible to those commonly excluded from the workforce. We do not discriminate against and in fact specifically encourage applicants from marginalized communities to apply, including those who are directly impacted by criminal, civil, family and immigration legal systems. We value lived as well as professional experience and particularly welcome applications from the Bronx community that we work with.