About Us
The ArchCity Defenders strives to prevent and end homelessness by providing holistic criminal and civil legal services in collaboration with a network of social service organizations, local governments, private businesses, and colleges and universities.
"The ArchCity Defenders are engaged in an exemplary, and often thankless job, of defending the voiceless and powerless in the criminal justice system. As a former public defender, I know how difficult the work can be and I salute those who continue the fight for justice and fairness in our legal system. It is the highest form of advocacy."
- Charles J. Ogletree, Jr.
The Jessie Climenko Professor of Law at Harvard Law School
Through a network of service and community partnerships, the ArchCity Defenders work to break the cycle of "revolving door justice" in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Whether they come to us personally, are referred to us by one of our community partners, or are assigned to our team by the courts, our clients are the often-overlooked individuals in our overburdened criminal justice system.
Not eligible for the services of other organizations and still unable to afford private counsel, our clients represent the people who commonly fall through the cracks. The ArchCity Defenders fills in this crucial legal services gap by providing free and low-cost holistic legal representation to individuals who would otherwise not have access.
While, in theory, everyone has the same legal rights, in practice the assistance of attorneys is required to ensure those rights are observed, protected, and administered impartially. Gaining an attorney's assistance is seldom a problem for people of adequate means, but civil rights are often compromised or disregarded altogether for those without funds and facing criminal investigation or prosecution or costly administrative sanctions. ACD aims to reverse this denial of basic civil rights by offering legal services to those who could not otherwise afford them.
