Defender Association of Philadelphia

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.

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	Paul J. Hetznecker, Esq., President Catherine M. Recker, Esq., Vice President
Date founded	1934 (1934)
Company type	Nonprofit corporation
Website	phillydefenders.org

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
• 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