[2] Founded in 1997 by a team of eight advocates, including its former executive director Robin Steinberg, David Feige and criminal defense attorney Daniel Arshack, the Bronx Defenders is responsible for developing holistic defense, an interdisciplinary model of criminal defense lawyering.
In late 2023, Justine Olderman stepped down from her position as Executive Director.
She held the post for six years, and was the second ever in the position, being appointed by founder Robin Steinberg.
[4] As of January 2024, Wesley Caines has stepped into the roll as an interim while the Board hires an outside firm to conduct a national search for a new Executive Director.
[5][6] In recent years, the Bronx Defenders has received national attention and praise for its work providing holistic defense to indigent residents of the Bronx, including the National Legal Aid & Defender Association’s Clara Shortridge Foltz Award.