OPD was recently selected as a partner site for the American Bar Association Center for Innovation Fellowship program. Last fall, Loyola University New Orleans Law Grad Bianca Moore joined the second class of an exclusive cohort of ABA NextGen and Innovation Fellows. Moore will spend the next year embedded with OPD, representing poor people in Municipal Court held on bond, and documenting the individual and community impact of money bail.
Now in its second year, the Fellows Program encourages and accelerates innovations that improve the accessibility, effectiveness and efficiency of legal services across the country.
“In just the first six weeks of my study, data has shown our clients socioeconomic status remains a dispositive factor against our clients’ release; not flight risk or threat to public safety,” said Attorney Fellow Bianca Moore. “For many of our clients, their presumption of innocence is undermined because they are poor. While some progress has been made, pretrial detention remains the norm in New Orleans. I’m excited to work on moving that needle more toward fairness.”
The fellowship is an opportunity to provide desperately needed representation at a time when resources and funding for public defense in New Orleans remains far below other criminal legal system actors. Additionally, Ms. Moore will work to support bond advocacy efforts, collaborate with other stakeholders in advocating for bail reform, connect clients to and support community bail funds in order to secure their release.
Her advocacy has already successfully released a client struggling with addiction and homelessness who was being held on a bond he couldn’t afford, despite no evidence to the accusations. Ms. Moore connected him to drug treatment and he was immediately to the programming following his acquittal.
“We’re thrilled to have Ms. Moore join OPD in representing our most vulnerable and disenfranchised citizens,” said OPD Chief of Trials Danny Engelberg. “In just a few short months, she already exemplifies the way we fight for dignity, justice and hope for our community. Additionally, we know money bail is a problem that needs to be addressed. Having her focus on this issue at the ground level will be instrumental to the overall collaborative efforts to reform the system.”
Ms. Moore was also recently named the recipient of the esteemed A.P. Tureaud Achievement Award by the A.P. Tureaud Chapter of the Black Law Students Association at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. The award honors an exemplary alumnus who has exhibited exceptional commitment to the advancement of education, public service, and social freedom in the Louisiana in the spirit of A.P. Tureaud. Ms. Moore will be honored at the chapter’s upcoming gala.
