The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem is a non-profit model public law office whose dedicated staff is committed to providing the highest quality legal representation to inner city residents in Upper Manhattan. We are known internationally as the lead innovator in community-based, client-centered public defense practice. We involve civil and criminal attorneys, social workers, investigators, paralegals, and college and law school interns in the aggressive defense of our clients. We are dedicated to our mission — to make justice a reality for those farthest from its reach.

NDS is organized differently from traditional defender offices, which reflects its broadened role in the community it serves. Its services go beyond direct legal representation, to helping clients avoid future contact with the criminal justice system.