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Public Defense Scholarships

MAKE A REAL IMPACT BY SUPPORTING NACDL'S PUBLIC DEFENSE SCHOLARSHIP FUND THROUGH THE NACDL FOUNDATION FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE (NFCJ).

 

With support through the NFCJ, donors and funders have allowed NACDL to offer financial assistance through scholarships to hundreds of attorneys working in public defense. 

In 2024 alone, we were able to provide 80 public defense scholarships for registration and/or travel for trainings through NACDL, NAPD, NCDC, NLADA, and Gideon's Promise. 

But demand is higher than we can meet, and with the budget cuts everyone is facing, we need your support now more than ever! For every application approved, two are denied because of funding restraints.

Please consider making a recurring gift to show your support throughout the year. $10, $15, $25 a-month can make a significant difference. 

Consider other tax-wise options

Many of our supporters choose to give stock, donate through a Donor Advised Fund, or make a Qualified Charitable Distribution—often more tax beneficial than cash gifts. If you’re considering this, please contact Clay Braswell, Chief Development Officer, at cbraswell@nacdl.org.

 

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RECENTLY ADDED & UPCOMING

  1. The Champion
    March/April 2025 Cover

    March/April 2025

    What are the evidentiary implications of field sobriety tests in marijuana cases? Does the odor of marijuana give officers probable cause to search a vehicle?

  2. Amicus Brief
    March/April 2025 Cover

    Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP v. Executive Office of the President

    Brief of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and New York Council of Defense Lawyers as Amici Curiae in Support of Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment.

  3. News Release

    Nation’s Defense Bar Reiterates Opposition to Actions Against Law Firms – Washington, DC (March 18, 2025)

    The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) remains deeply concerned over recent executive orders targeting law firms, most recently Paul Weiss and Perkins Coie, and repeats its call to uphold the right to counsel and the independence of the legal profession. Despite a ruling blocking the action against Perkins Coie, the administration has continued to target law firms representing disfavored clients and positions, threatening the right to a zealous defense.

  4. Live Event
    2025 Forensic Science & Technology Seminar Cover

    2025 Forensic Science & Technology Seminar

    "Making Sense of Science: Forensic Science, Technology & the Law"

    LOCATION: Sahara Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
    DATES: April 24-26, 2025

  5. Trials, Technology, and the Fourth Amendment: Case Law Review [Engage & Exchange]

    EXCLUSIVE NACDL MEMBER BENEFIT
    WHEN:
    Tuesday, April 29, 2:00-3:30pm ET / 11:00am-12:30pm PT
    CLE CREDIT: not available
    COST: Free