Legal Aid attorneys Amanda Jack and Kalle Condliffe were honored by the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers at a ceremony earlier this week.

Jack and Condliffe both received the Gideon Champions of Justice award for their relentless advocacy and leadership in the fight to protect Kalief’s Law and to preserve the hard-won discovery and speedy trial reforms that safeguard the right to a fair process for all New Yorkers.

This landmark reform is named in honor of Kalief Browder, a 16-year-old from the Bronx who was wrongfully accused of stealing a backpack in and languished on Rikers Island for three years awaiting trial. He was only released after the government was forced to acknowledge that his accuser had left the country shortly after his indictment, and prosecutors were unable to locate him. After his release from Rikers Island, Kalief continued to face emotional and psychological challenges and died by suicide in 2015 at the age of 22.

“We thank Akeem Browder and the rest of the Browder family for lending us their brother’s name, image, and legacy to continue the fight to safeguard the reforms passed in his name,”  said Condliffe, as she accepted the award. “The memory of Kalief Browder, and the countless others who suffered incarceration and prosecution without meaningful access to the evidence against them, animated this fight and will continue to do so.”

“As disappointing as it has been to see Kalief’s Law come under attack year after year since it was enacted, we are grateful and proud to have worked alongside so many of you to prevent its repeal.”