Serving Clients in the Second Circuit and the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York

Beginning in September 2021, MDC legal calls and videoconferences can be scheduled on-line through the Skedda platform.  Federal Defenders of New York runs the scheduler and sends MDC a schedule each day. MDC is responsible for actually placing the calls and videoconferences. Below are some of the most common questions we have received about the online scheduler.

General Questions

What kind of calls can I book through this process?

This process is only for non-urgent legal telephone calls and videoconferences (VTCs), i.e., calls that can wait at least 28 hours to be placed.  

Who is in charge of scheduling non-urgent legal calls at MDC?

The Federal Defenders of New York manage the scheduling process for non-urgent legal telephone and videoconferences. We finalize schedules and send them to MDC at noon before the day of the call or VTC.  We have no control over whether the calls and VTCs are actually provided.

Who is in charge of scheduling urgent legal calls at MDC?

MDC Legal staff manage urgent legal calls. These calls are either same-day or otherwise urgent calls.  To request an urgent legal call, contact the MDC at 718-840-4200 and ask to be connected to the legal department.  If no one answers, email BRO-LegalVisit-s@bop.gov, explain why you need the call (not in detail, but, for example, “because of a court appearance” or “for a court filing”), provide the client’s name and register number and give your specific days and times of availability plus your contact number, all in one email.  Legal Department staff leave by 3 pm each day so make every possible effort to request legal calls first thing in the morning (they arrive by 7 a.m.).

How much availability is there at the MDC for non-urgent legal calls and VTCs?

The following floors in the West or New building have 10 half-hour slots (for a total of 5 hours of calls and VTC time) available each day, Monday-Friday, shared across all lawyers:

  • Floor 4 (Unit 41, Unit 42, Unit 43)

  • Floor 5 (Unit 51, Unit 52, Unit 53)

  • Floor 6 (Unit 61, Unit 62, Unit 63)

  • Floor 7 (Unit 71, Unit 72, Unit 73)

  • Floor 8 (Unit 81, Unit 82, Unit 83, Unit 84)

  • West SHU

The following floors in the East or Old building have 5 half-hour slots (for a total of 2.5 hours of call and VTC time) available each day, Monday-Friday:

  • Unit D

  • Unit E

  • Unit 3N

  • Unit 3S

  • East SHU

Do I need to book a call or VTC in advance? What is the window of availability?

Yes, to give MDC sufficient time to coordinate calls and VTCs, you must book at least 28 hours in advance through Skedda. If you try to book a with fewer than 28 hours' notice, you will receive an error message and be unable to book.

We submit a schedule of calls to MDC one business day in advance, so the lockout window is automatically extended on Friday at 10am to prevent bookings on the weekend for Monday after we have already submitted the Monday schedule.

Two weeks is the furthest out you can book a call or VTC.

What are the current dates and timeslots available for non-urgent legal calls and VTCS at MDC?

Legal calls can be booked for morning and afternoon slots, Monday-Friday, barring federal holidays.  Legal VTCs can be booked in the afternoons Monday through Friday. At this time there are no weekend legal calls.

Please go to the Skedda to see the most up-to-date timeslots for legal calls at MDC.

What is the shortest non-urgent legal call I can have? What is the longest? Are there differences between telephone calls and videoconferences?

The shortest call you can have is 30 minutes. The longest is 3 hours. Please be mindful that there are limited number of calls and VTCs shared among all counsel.

Can clients in the SHU get non-urgent legal calls and videoconferences?

Yes, but these calls are in high demand so book well in advance.

Can clients in the East Building get non-urgent legal calls and videoconferences?

Yes, you can book these calls for clients by finding the appropriate floor or unit, for example, "3N," or “3S” on Skedda.

Can clients in the East SHU get non-urgent legal calls and videoconferences?

Yes