Brothers in Law Podcast

On this episode, Imani interviews Adem Bunkeddeko who is running for New York State Comptroller. He breaks down in simple terms the role of the comptroller and explains why it is important. Adem shares his story and discusses what led him to pursue a career in politics. Adem explains how he believes that solving the housing crisis is integral to bettering the economy. He talks about how his family...

On this episode, Conrad and Imani discuss Conrad’s run for State Assembly. Conrad is a Harlemite and proud Democratic Socialist running in the upcoming 2026 election for Assembly District 70. He shares his personal story and his vision for Harlem. Conrad explains how, as a public defender, he stood with and defended people who have suffered under state violence and won battles many believed were l...

On this live episode, Conrad, Imani, and Eli are joined by Mayoral Zohran Mamdani for a town hall in Harlem. Zohran is a New York State Assemblymember and democratic socialist running for Mayor. He shares his experience as an immigrant born in Uganda and raised in New York City. He talks about how he has fought for the working class in and outside the legislature. Zohran explains how the cost of l...

On this episode, Conrad and Imani are joined by Edafe Okporo. Edafe is running for city council in New York City District 7, located in west Harlem. Edafe was born in Nigeria. Edafe shares how he migrated to the United States in 2016 as an asylum seeker and is now a refugee of the United States. He talks about his global activism and his concern with the issue of displacement. He wants to live in...

On this episode, Conrad and Imani are joined by Professor Steven Zeidman. Steven Zeidman is a Professor at CUNY School of Law and Director of their Criminal Defense Clinic. In this episode, Professor Zeidman shares his story from working as a public defender to pursuing his work seeking clemency. He explains that clemency is the process of a governor or other executive officer reducing or pardonin...

On this episode, Conrad and Imani are joined by Professor Steven Zeidman. Steven Zeidman is a Professor at CUNY School of Law and Director of their Criminal Defense Clinic. In this episode, Professor Zeidman shares his story from working as a public defender to pursuing his work seeking clemency. He explains that clemency is the process of a governor or other executive officer reducing or pardonin...

On this episode, Conrad and Imani are joined by Anthony Dixon. Anthony is the Deputy Director of the Parole Preparation Projection (Parole Prep). Parole Prep provides critical advocacy and direct support to currently and formerly incarcerated people serving life sentences, with the goal of transforming the parole release process in New York State. More concretely, Parole Prep trains community volu...

On this episode, Conrad and Imani are joined by Hawk Newsome. Hawk is an activist in pursuit of Black liberation. Haw is a Bronx Native and has dedicated his life to fighting on behalf of vulnerable and marginalized communities. Hawk is a co-founder of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York alongside his sister Chivona Newsome. Hawk believes in empowering people to know more about the law than the...

On this episode, Conrad and Imani are joined by Bruce Bryan. Bruce is a human rights activist, professional connector, and human justice ambassador. He currently works as a Senior Client Advocate at the Queens Defenders. Prior to this role, Bruce was wrongfully convicted of murder at the age of 23. Last year, after 30 years of incarceration, Bruce was granted clemency and released from prison. Bru...

On this episode, Conrad and Imani are joined by their fellow Brother In Law Phillip Hamilton. Phil is a Managing Partner at Hamilton Clarke, LLP and Adjunct Professor at Cardozo School of Law. He is an experienced trial attorney and litigator whose practice includes a broad range of high-stakes civil and criminal matters throughout the nation’s state and federal courts. Phil tells his story of how...

On this episode, Conrad and Imani are joined by Paulina Bryan. Paulina is the founder of the Live Lawyer App. And a mother and wife, Paulina Bryan is an advocate for mothers of murdered children. Inspired by her son Jordan Bryan, she invented the Live Lawyer App. Her son, Jordan Bryan, purchased a car and kept being pulled over by police. He called his mom and would complain about being pulled ove...

On this episode, Conrad and Imani are joined by Jeffrey. In 1990, at the age of 17, he was wrongfully convicted of raping, beating, and strangling his high school classmate. Jeffrey made a false confession that was immediately withdrawn, but became the basis for his conviction. He served 16 years, some in an adult "super max" as a minor, while maintaining his innocence. He requested post-convictio...

On this episode, Conrad and Imani are joined by Roland Font. Roland is a twenty-five year highly trained Law Enforcement professional. He currently works as a New York State Court Officer. Additionally, Roland works as a Disaster Response Volunteer and an Independent Security Contractor. Roland shares his story and explains how he ended up pursuing a career in law enforcement. They discuss how rac...

On this episode, Conrad and Imani talk about the law of police encounters as it pertains to New York. Are the police allowed to approach you and ask for your ID? Are the police allowed to ask you for your name, where are you going, and where are you coming from? What happens if the police violate your rights? What should you do if the police engage with you in an unlawful manner? The answers to th...

On this episode, Conrad and Imani are joined by their fellow Sister in Law, Urooj Khan. Urooj shares her journey to becoming a public defender. She believes that public defenders must understand who they are at their core in order to do this work. They discuss the Scottsboro Boys and the role of communists and labor lawyers in the fight for against anti-Black racism. The talk about the importance...

In this episode, Imani and Conrad are joined by their fellow Sister in Law, Janae. Janae works as a supervising attorney in the Family Defense Practice. They discuss some of the collateral consequences as it pertains to your family that arise when someone is arrested. Janae explains how certain arrests can trigger the involvement of child protective services. She also shares how an arrest can resu...

In this episode, Imani and Conrad are joined by their fellow Brother in Law, Eli Northrup. Eli is a public defender in the Bronx and the Policy Director for the Criminal Defense Practice. They talk about the intersection of policy and criminal defense. They explore the ways in which the legalization of marijuana in New York is different from other states. Eli tells the story of Shamika Crawford an...

In this episode, Imani and Conrad are joined by their fellow Brothers in Law, Tyriek and Jamaal. They discuss the stereotypes of public defenders and share the ways in which they are sometimes valid and other times unwarranted. They talk about their experiences with racism and discrimination as Black male public defenders. Hopefully, after this episode you will better understand some of the challe...

In this episode, Imani and Conrad are joined by their fellow Brother in Law, Jorge. Jorge works as a public defender in the Immigration Defense Practice. Specifically, among other services, he represents those in need of deportation defense in Immigration Court removal proceedings. They discuss some of the immigration collateral consequences that arise when someone is arrested. Jorge explains how...

In this episode, Imani and Conrad are joined by their fellow Sister in Law, Porsha. Porsha works as a supervising attorney in the Criminal Defense Practice. They discuss the value and importance of Black and Brown people participating in jury duty. Porsha explains what “Jury Nullification” is and shares how it should be used as a tool for abolishing the prison industrial complex. Porsha breaks dow...

In this episode, Imani and Conrad are joined by their fellow Brother in Law, Babatunde. Babatunde works as a public defender in the Civil Action Practice, AKA “CAP”. They discuss some of the civil collateral consequences that arise when someone is arrested. Babatunde explains how certain employment licenses can be suspended, revoked, or otherwise impacted by an arrest. He shares how an arrest can...

In this episode, Imani and Conrad are joined by their fellow Sisters in Law, Gina and Falon. They discuss the challenges that black women face as public defenders. Gina explains the importance of impact litigation. Falon talks about her work in the early defense practice. They explore some of the ins and outs of being arrested and encourage people to be aware of some of the tactics police use. Hop...

In this episode, Imani is joined by a fellow Brother in Law Tyriek. They discuss a variety of topics that come up in a criminal case. They talk about what an I-Card is, briefly address the right to remain silent, and explain what a certificate of compliance is. Hopefully, after this episode you will be a little more knowledgeable on each of those concepts.

In this episode, Imani and Conrad discuss orders of protection. They break down the different modifications of orders of protection which include: limited orders of protection, orders of protections subject to incidental contact, and full orders of protection. They briefly explain what a Crawford Hearing is, which is an opportunity to have a judge change or remove an order of protection. Hopefully...

In this episode, Imani and Conrad join Shaq with the Primarily Colors Podcast to discuss their experiences as public defenders. They explain what inspired them to become public defenders. They also talk about some of the difficulties they encountered. Imani and Conrad have been working as public defenders for over 5 years and have a wealth of knowledge they are eager to share. Hopefully, after thi...