Brian Perez Sutton

Brian joined the Kansas Federal Public Defender as a Fellow in 2024.

Born and raised in Queens, New York, Brian went to Stony Brook University and spent a semester abroad studying human origins in the Turkana Basin, Kenya. After graduating, he worked as a gardener in downtown Manhattan before leaving to serve in the Peace Corps in Zambia. From 2017 to 2019, Brian lived in a rural Zambian community, helping to start a beekeeping cooperative that gained national media attention.  When he arrived back in New York, Brian worked with a horticultural therapy program at Rikers Island, which inspired him to pursue a career in public defense.

Brian went on to attend Fordham Law School, where he discovered his passion for federal public defense and trial advocacy. He interned at the Federal Defenders of New York, Inc., SDNY, and before that, worked on CJA cases at Hamilton Clarke LLP. Brian feels fortunate to continue that work through the fellowship. 

In his free time, Brian enjoys listening to music, teaching himself guitar, and caring for his many houseplants.