Who We Are

The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees an accused the right to representation by counsel in serious criminal prosecutions.

The mission of the Federal Public Defender's Office is to ensure that the right to the effective assistance of counsel guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Criminal Justice Act (CJA), 18 U.S.C. § 3006A is enforced within the Western District of New York on behalf of those who are unable to afford retained counsel and other necessary federal criminal defense services.

Members of the Federal Defender’s Office for the Western District of New York share a commitment to excellence and a passion for justice in representing indigent people accused of all types of federal criminal offenses. 

We provide legal services to our clients with zealousness, excellence, and integrity. We believe that fighting for justice means not only advocating aggressively to protect our clients’ legal and constitutional rights, but also respecting and promoting their individual dignity and humanity. The FPDO WDNY also provides support and training for our district’s CJA Panel, a group of qualified private attorneys approved by the district court to receive appointments in federal criminal cases.

We defend our clients with purpose, compassion, and courage; identifying inequities that deny them of freedoms, drive their prosecutions, and inflate their sentences.

We are a diverse office motivated by our devotion to represent the indigent accused with respect, serving them with dynamic advocacy, excellence, and compassion. We are client-centered and driven by our dedication to our clients. We are unwavering and purposeful in the representation of each client.

Diversity is essential to advocacy. We cannot represent our community unless we reflect its cultural differences. It makes us better advocates and is at the core of who we are. Diversity is fundamental to building strong relationships with our clients and colleagues. We are dedicated to having staff from all walks of life and will continue to recruit diverse talent.