Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Capacity building for a community-based legal defense office
Based in upper Manhattan, the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (NDS) is a community-based public law office that provides free legal representation to local residents unable to afford private attorneys. In contrast to traditional public defense practices — in New York and elsewhere — NDS applies a holistic, team-based model to its work, involving social workers, investigators, paralegals and interns as well as attorneys, in defending clients. Extending beyond direct legal representation, its services are geared toward helping clients avoid future criminal proceedings and become productive members of society.
Changing times
Despite NDS's international reputation as a public defense innovator, changes in government funding formulas had left the organization without sufficient resources to keep pace with an increasing demand for its services. Staff turnover was high; successful programs had to be cut back or eliminated when funding ran out; and many NDS stakeholders felt that the organization's public image needed to be revitalized.
NDS in fact had been grappling on its own with a number of issues, including professional training, governance, infrastructure and capacity building, when it enlisted TCC Group's assistance in creating a new strategic plan.
Optimizing resources
"TCC's primary contribution was in helping us to organize our thinking around these areas and clarify our priorities," says NDS executive director Leonard Noisette. "They played a vital role in helping us make the most of our time and resources."
The planning effort served as a catalyst for change even before it was completed, "forcing us to focus more directly on things we'd been talking about for a long time," says Noisette. The process led to tangible improvements in technology infrastructure, finance oversight and board governance. In addition, expanded training and development opportunities were made available to both legal and non-legal staff. In 2005, NDS relocated to larger quarters better able to accommodate participants in its on-site programs. The organization also began exploring new ways of partnering with other community-based organizations in upper Manhattan.
"TCC was great at gathering and analyzing relevant information - and then using it to help us design and manage an effective planning process," says Noisette. "There's no question that NDS is in a better place as a result."
