Defender Association of Philadelphia
| Headquarters | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| No. of offices | 1 |
| Major practice areas | Adult and juvenile state and civil court hearings, criminal mental health hearings, and child advocates for dependent and neglected children |
| Key people |
|
| Date founded | 1934 |
| Company type | Nonprofit corporation |
| Website | phillydefenders |
Defender Association of Philadelphia, founded in 1936, is a non-profit corporation, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that provides defense on a court-appointed basis for criminal and delinquency cases in which the defendants and respondents are indigent adults and juveniles.
History
In 1990, the association appointed the first woman as chief in 56 years.[1][2] She retired in 2014.[3]
In October 2001, the firm moved Comcast Center (Philadelphia) at 17th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard.[4] In 2015, Keir Bradford-Grey become head of the Association.[5]
Notable people
- C. Darnell Jones II, federal judge
- Joseline Peña-Melnyk, politician[6]
- Abbe Smith, law professor
- Gregory M. Sleet, federal judge
- Luis Felipe Restrepo, federal judge
- Benjamin H. Read, politician
Scholarship
- |Client Service in a Defender Organization: The Philadelphia Experience
- |egal Aid to Indigent Criminal Defendants in Philadelphia and New Jersey
References
- ^ Kennedy, Grace (1995). "WLJ Interview - Ellen T. Greenlee". Women Lawyers Journal. 82: 17. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ^ Tulsky, Fredric. "Defender Association Appoints First Woman Chief In 56 Years". Philly.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- ^ Writer, Chris Mondics, Inquirer Staff (9 December 2014). "Greenlee, chief of Defender Association, to retire in March". Inquirer.com. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) (subscription required) - ^ Holcomb, Henry J. (October 25, 2001). "Philadelphia's Public Defenders Get New Home; Site Free for Development". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ McCrystal, Laura. "New chief of Defender Association of Philadelphia known for taking different approach". philly.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- ^ "Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk, Maryland State Delegate". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved December 19, 2025.