ArchCity Defenders

At ArchCity Defenders, our clients and their loved ones are inescapably targeted and punished by the criminal legal system of police, courts, and jails. Not only do we represent our clients in court, we reframe misleading narratives, help families rebuild their lives, file civil rights lawsuits, and organize for meaningful change. We invite you to watch and share this *NEW* video which highlights our holistic legal advocacy through the voices of clients, staff, and board members.

Updated location and time of our next event! Bring a friend, and join us and partners this Wednesday at Deaconess Foundation.

Are you ready for a transformative semester? We're accepting applications to our 2024 fall internship program! Apply now at bit.ly/ACD-Fall-Interns Curious what your internship experience will look like and what you'll learn? Read what our previous interns have to say at bit.ly/jj05

Please help us welcome our new Staff Attorney, Ebony McKeever! Raised in the Midwest, Ebony joined ACD in July of 2024 as a staff attorney in the Civil Litigation Department. Ebony was first drawn to ACD after an acquaintance received a settlement payment from ACD’s class actions combatting debtors’ prisons. Before joining ACD, Ebony practiced law at a private firm in Iowa—however, Ebony’s primary goal in obtaining a law degree was always to help others and effectuate equality. "I first heard about ArchCity Defenders when my friend Li-Mae began interning for the organization during our final year of law school. A couple years later, an acquaintance of mine received settlement money from the Baker v. Florissant class action—represented by ACD. Researching the Baker case naturally lead to me looking into ACD more in depth, and was a contributing factor to me deciding to apply for a staff attorney position. Moving forward with ACD, I will represent both individuals and classes of people who have had their constitutional rights violated. It is my hope that I will help our clients achieve some level of restitution for the injustices they've suffered."

Join a passionate team of advocates fighting the criminalization of poverty and state violence in communities of color! Apply now for our Director of Finance & Operations position! Learn more: bit.ly/ACD-employment #ACDjobs

Curious about abolition? Join us & partners next week @Deaconess as we dive into topics like abolition, transformative justice, housing and voting rights. Food & refreshments available until we run out! #STL #community #blacklivesmatter #FreedomSummer

Are you a student wanting to be part of something meaningful? Applications for our Fall 2024 internships are still open. Opportunities linked below: https://lnkd.in/gjTfnp3N

Please help us welcome our new Staff Attorney, Li-Mae McNehlan! Li-Mae (she/her) went to law school to pursue skills and education that would allow her to address systemic injustices. She has a particular interest in race, gender, and reproductive justice. She joined ACD as a staff attorney in criminal and municipal defense in 2024 after interning with that department during her final year of law/grad school. "Shortly after I moved to St. Louis in 2017, I was involved with some of the many community actions in response to the Stockley verdict. I first heard of ACD through other protestors who would recommend you write their number on your arm in the event you were arrested. In fact, many people were arrested and subjected to police abuse during those protests, and ACD worked to vindicate their rights. I’ve followed ACD’s work ever since. When I decided to go back to school for law, I was motivated by the desire to counter suffering caused by state and systemic injustices. I was naturally drawn to ACD not only because I had seen their work in action and the concrete good it had done, but because their vision and values are unabashedly anti-racist, abolitionist, and community-centered. In my current role, I feel very lucky to play a small part in helping my clients by representing them in criminal and municipal matters in a system that is so often stacked against them. I also look forward to applying my interest and knowledge in reproductive justice to develop resources targeted toward gender equity in criminal and municipal representation."

This week we will be highlighting several new additions to the ACD team. Please help us welcome one of our new Staff Attorney, Brianna Coppersmith! Born and raised in St. Louis, Brianna worked in higher education prior to attending SLU Law. After law school, Brianna clerked at the Missouri Court of Appeals before joining ACD in June 2024. As a staff attorney on the Civil Litigation team, Brianna’s work focuses on issues including police brutality and jail conditions. "I first learned about ACD in 2014 through a series of chance encounters at a grocery store with one of the organization's founders. Over the next decade, I watched in admiration as ACD's ongoing impact litigation, particularly around debtors' prisons, shifted carceral practices across the region and the state. When I started law school, I hoped to eventually practice at ArchCity because of its abolitionist mission and steadfast commitment to the people of St. Louis. Now, as a staff attorney on the civil rights litigation team, I look forward to working alongside clients to advocate for the preservation and expansion of their legal rights."

Appreciating community members & partners who joined us at Habitat for Humanity St. Louis for our 3rd Freedom Summer event. We had voter registration, resources, local food trucks, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, legal consultations, #ProSeSTL guides & more!