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.
It operates as a 501(c)(3) Public Charity. In 2023, it claimed $83,916,027 in revenue and $56,503,891 in total assets.[1]
History
In 1990, the association appointed the first woman as chief in 56 years.[2][3] She retired in 2014.[4]
In October 2001, the firm moved Comcast Center (Philadelphia) at 17th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard.[5] In 2015, Keir Bradford-Grey become head of the Association.[6]
Notable people
- C. Darnell Jones II, federal judge
- Joseline Peña-Melnyk, politician[7]
- 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
- ^ “Defender Association of Philadelphia”. candid.org. Candid. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ^ 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.