Shapiro Arato Alum Joins Federal Defenders of New York
On October 1, 2015, former Shapiro Arato associate James Darrow joined the Federal Defenders of New York as an assistant Federal Defender in the Eastern District of New York. James was the first associate hired when the firm was founded in 2009. During his tenure at the firm, James successfully represented high profile as well as indigent clients in connection with criminal charges ranging from securities law violations to drug conspiracy. Most recently, he won a Second Circuit appeal in which the Court held that the district judge should have dismissed with prejudice a pro bono client’s conviction for firearms possession due to a violation of the Speedy Trial Act. US v. Raheem Bert, 14-2428-cr (find link to opinion here). His appointment at the Federal Defenders will give James the opportunity to continue his commitment to criminal defense work and to continue to make important an contribution to ensuring fairness and integrity in the criminal justice system on behalf of indigent defendants. We thank James for his valuable contributions to the firm and look forward to celebrating his continued success.