Timothy Rountree

Since 2005 Timothy Rountree has been the Attorney-in-Charge of the Legal Aid Society Criminal Defense Practice in Queens County New York. Tim’s office – one of five Legal Aid trial offices in New York City - provides legal and managerial leadership for a 170 plus person team comprised of staff attorneys, supervising attorneys, and support staff, including investigators, social workers, and paralegals. He is responsible for office operations, staff hiring and development, including office-wide decision making and representing the Legal Aid Society and Criminal Defense Practice client interests in Criminal Court and wider community. The Legal Aid Society Criminal Defense Practice is the largest and oldest public defender organization in the country, as well as the primary provider of indigent criminal defense services in New York City.

Before being appointed to his current position, Tim was the Deputy Attorney-in-Charge of the Capital Division of the Legal Aid Society. Before that he was a Staff Attorney in the Capital Division. The Capital Division represented individuals charged with first degree murder and facing the death penalty. The death penalty law was re-enacted in New York State in 1995. The law has since been found unconstitutional. In 1998 Tim was part of a team of attorneys who defended Darryl Harris at trial in the case of People of the State of New York v. Darryl Harris, the first death penalty trial in New York State once the death penalty was re-enacted.
Tim began his legal career at the Legal Aid Society as a staff attorney in 1987. He Became a Supervising Attorney in 2004. He was also the Supervising Attorney in the Criminal Justice Clinic at Hofstra University School of Law. He was an adjunct faculty member in New York Law School’s Criminal Law Clinic and an adjunct instructor at Baruch College and Monroe College. Tim is an adjunct faculty member at St. John’s University and is an active team member in new attorney training for Legal Aid’s Criminal Defense Practice.

Tim is a recipient of the New York State Bar Association, Denison Ray Criminal Defender Staff Award for Indigent Representation. He is an inductee into the Hall of Distinguished Alumni at his high school alma mater, New Brunswick High School in New Brunswick, New Jersey and a St. John’s University, Legal Studies Leadership Award winner. He received a BA in English with honors from Howard University and a JD from American University, Washington College of Law. Tim will take ledership in nurturing and growing TRC’s NextGen CircleKeepers programs.