Hi,
Just looking at the picture all I can tell is the tree doesn't look that healthy. Last year was very, very rainy and it is possible that if you planted it in a clay soil, the roots sat in water too long and some root rot occurred. Redbuds in general are understory trees so they prefer to grow in partially shaded areas with a well draining, but organic matter enriched soil. So realistically no one can predict whether your tree will make it or not. I would trim and dead branches, give the tree some fertilizer as directed on the package next month, and wait and see what happens. Keep a layer of mulch (2 to 3 inches) around the bottom of the plant and if we go into a dry season, give it a deep watering every 10 days or so. After it leafs out, it you see spots or cankers, you can contact the horticulturists at the UConn Home & Garden Education Center<personal data hidden> and they can tell you how to do so.

Thank you so much for the response! I cut out dead branches and fertilized the tree in April. Some of the remaining branches have nice looking leaves developing, but some of the branches look very unwell. I’m attaching an overall photo of the tree plus close ups of one of the unwell branches. Any thoughts on what might be wrong, how to help, or whether it’s time to give up are appreciated.

Again, many thanks.

^{Hi - Again it is really hard to diagnose anything from a photo but I would say your tree is on its way out. The foliage is small and chlorotic. The plant doesn't have enough energy to  put out good growth. It may be a root rot or disease. I would sent a sample to the UConn Plant Diagnostic Lab (https://plant.lab.uconn.edu/). They can culture it for diseases. Contact them before sending in anything. Also you can dig gently around some of the roots to see if you have a nice fibrous root system and make sure they aren't in the ball or container shape they were planted in.}