Federal Defenders Names Tamara Giwa as Next Executive Director
The Federal Defenders of New York, one of the country’s foremost public defender organizations, announced today that the Board of Directors has named Tamara Giwa Executive Director. Giwa currently serves as the organization’s Director of Strategic Litigation and will begin her new role starting on April 1, 2024. An independent, non-profit organization, the Federal Defenders of New York vigorously defends individuals charged with federal crimes who cannot afford legal representation. The organization’s lawyers practice in the federal courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Giwa succeeds David Patton, who had served as the Executive Director since 2011.
“I look forward to serving as the next Executive Director of the Federal Defenders of New York, working to advance the organization’s mission of providing high-quality representation to our clients,” said Tamara Giwa, the incoming Executive Director at the Federal Defenders of New York. “It is an immense privilege to shepherd this dynamic organization and provide our clients with the representation they deserve, and it is an honor to lead the talented and dedicated staff at the Federal Defenders of New York.”
Giwa has worked at the Federal Defenders of New York since 2019, most recently as the Director of Strategic Litigation, spearheading the development of litigation strategies and continuing her record of advocacy to combat racism and inequality in the federal criminal legal system.
“Tamara has proven to be both an innovative leader and superb trial lawyer. I am thrilled that she is taking the helm of the Federal Defenders of New York,” said Justine Harris, Chair of the Federal Defenders of New York’s Board of Directors.
Giwa received her Bachelor of Arts from Duke University in 2004 and her Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School in 2007. Following law school, Giwa spent three years working as a staff attorney at the Brooklyn Family Defense Project, where she represented families and supervised a team of local attorneys and law students. Following this role, she joined the Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense practice, where she spent eight years as a staff attorney. While at the Legal Aid Society, Giwa was part of the DNA unit, where she not only tirelessly represented her clients, but also advocated at the state and national level for policy initiatives related to forensic tools used in criminal proceedings. Giwa is also an adjunct professor at New York University Law School where she teaches a course on Professional Responsibility in Criminal Practice. She has trained attorneys in a wide variety of topics including training new U.S. Attorneys in the SDNY General Crimes Unit.
In the federal courts in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, over 80% of those charged are indigent and cannot afford a lawyer. A high percentage also suffer from addiction, mental illness, and a history of trauma. Through zealous and creative advocacy on behalf of clients, Federal Defenders of New York is at the forefront of addressing the systemic issues that plague the criminal legal system with a focus on representing each individual client in the most holistic way possible to advance justice.
