ArchCity Defenders (ACD) is a nonprofit group based in St. Louis, Missouri that advocates for criminal justice policy reform ¹

The group claims it advocates for “equitable outcomes” for residents of the area and beyond. ²

Background

ArchCity Defenders is a charitable nonprofit founded in 2009 by Thomas Harvey, Michael-John Voss, and John McAnnar with the claimed goal of preventing homelessness in St. Louis, Missouri by providing legal services. ³

The organization’s approach, known as “holistic legal advocacy,” was inspired by work done by the Bronx Defenders group in New York. The “holistic” approach aims to connect homeless and at-risk people with both social services and legal representation. ⁴

Activities

ArchCity Defenders claims to address problems of homelessness, injustice, and economic inequality in the St Louis area through litigation challenges. It also engages in “media advocacy” and “community collaboration” which it hopes will achieve “equitable outcomes” for people in the area and beyond. ⁵

ArchCity Defenders has a Civil Rights Litigation unit which has launched legal challenges against institutions like police departments and prisons for alleged inhumane and unlawful conduct. Led by executive director Blake Strode, the unit had filed over 50 civil rights cases in state and federal courts as of 2024. ⁶

In 2015, ArchCity Defenders, along with the Saint Louis University School of Law Legal Clincs and the Campbell Law Firm, filed a lawsuit against the City of Ferguson for its alleged “exploitative and revenue generating practices.” It filed the suit on behalf of Roelif Carter, a resident of the city who aimed to represent “a class of people” harmed by the corrupt police establishment of the city in the wake of the high-profile death of fellow resident Michael Brown. In 2020, the suit was settled for $1,699,405, which was designated to be distributed among Roelif and a class of 10,000 people as a “partial return” for “failure to appear” court fees. ⁷

Financials

In 2023, ArchCity Defenders reported revenue of $3,819,651, expenses of $3,394,161, and net assets of $4,142,108. ⁸

Leadership

As of 2024, Blake Strode is the executive director of ArchCity Defenders. ⁹ According to his bio on ArchCity’s website, Strode joined the organization as a “Skadden Fellow” and staff attorney after he graduated from Harvard Law School in 2015. At ArchCity, Strode is known for having created its Civil Rights Litigation unit. He also runs a podcast about criminal justice called Under the Arch with Kayla Reed, the director of Action St. Louis. ¹⁰

In July 2024, Strode became a member of the board for left-of-center grantmaking organization NEO Philanthropy .¹¹

1. “About Us – History and Recognition.” ArchCity Defenders. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.archcitydefenders.org/about-us/history-recognition/.
2. “Mission, Vision, Values.” ArchCity Defenders. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.archcitydefenders.org/about-us/mission-vision-values/.
3. “About Us – History and Recognition.” ArchCity Defenders. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.archcitydefenders.org/about-us/history-recognition/.
4. “About Us – History and Recognition.” ArchCity Defenders. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.archcitydefenders.org/about-us/history-recognition/.
5. “Mission, Vision, Values.” ArchCity Defenders. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.archcitydefenders.org/about-us/mission-vision-values/.
6. “Blake Strode.” ArchCity Defenders. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.archcitydefenders.org/team_member/blake-strode/.
7. “For Immediate Release: Settlement Reached With Ferguson Over Court Fees.” ArchCity Defenders, March 25, 2020. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.archcitydefenders.org/for-immediate-release-settlement-reached-with-ferguson-over-court-fees/.
8. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Arch City Defenders. 2023. Part I, lines 12, 18, 22.
9. “Staff.” ArchCity Defenders. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.archcitydefenders.org/staff/.
10. “Blake Strode.” ArchCity Defenders. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.archcitydefenders.org/team_member/blake-strode/.
11. “NEO Philanthropy Welcomes New Board Members, Alex-Handrah Aimé and Blake Strode, and Names Kerrien Suarez and Kristen Ruff as Co-Chairs.” NEO Philanthropy, July 29, 2024. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://neophilanthropy.org/neo-philanthropy-welcomes-new-board-members-alex-handrah-aime-and-blake-strode-and-names-kerrien-suarez-and-kristen-ruff-as-co-chairs/.