The Volunteer Appellate Defender Program (VAD) offers associates at New York’s top law firms an opportunity to represent indigent defendants in felony criminal appeals in the Appellate Division, First Department with intensive training and supervision of experienced OAD attorneys. The VAD Program is limited to associates at participating firms only.

The VAD program includes the following unique attributes:

extensive training, with formal training sessions on brief writing and substantive criminal law, as well as rigorous moot courts intensive supervision by experienced supervisors who oversee client contact, read the record, intensively edit the brief, help prepare for oral argument, and attend and evaluate the argument. a rare opportunity to argue a case before a panel of the Appellate Division, First Department. Appellate argument guaranteed to each participant up to six training CLE credits and up to six Pro Bono credits no partner time required for more information about the VAD Program, please see our FAQ section.