News Release

Jessica L. Stepan Appointed Associate Executive Director for Strategic Marketing for Nation's Criminal Defense Bar

Washington, DC (Nov. 21, 2017) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jessica L. Stepan as Associate Executive Director for Strategic Marketing. In that position, Jessica will oversee the development of interdepartmental initiatives that enhance the visibility and benefits of NACDL, its programs, and its products. She will also establish and maintain a strategic plan to increase membership and enhance non-dues revenue streams. 

NACDL Executive Director Norman L. Reimer said, “Jessica Stepan brings extraordinary insight and a keen understanding of the needs and concerns of a professional membership. As NACDL continues to fulfill its multifaceted mission of service to the criminal defense bar and reform of the criminal justice system, Jessica will play a pivotal role in ensuring that the Association’s message of service and reform resonates across practice areas, diverse backgrounds, and encompasses defense lawyers at all levels of experience, from the recent graduate to the most seasoned.”

Jessica will be relocating to Washington, DC, from Arizona, where she served as Corporate Marketing and Communication Director-Global Initiatives for AmeriFirst Financial, Inc., before which she served as the Director of Marketing for the American Association for Justice. Prior to that, Jessica was the Marketing and Communications Manager for the National Association of Realtors. Jessica earned a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications at Towson University, and a Master of Arts in Global Marketing Communication and Advertising at Emerson College. She will begin her tenure at NACDL in mid-December.

Featured Products

Contacts

Ivan J. Dominguez, NACDL Director of Public Affairs & Communications, (202) 465-7662 or idominguez@nacdl.org 

The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers is the preeminent organization advancing the mission of the criminal defense bar to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or wrongdoing. A professional bar association founded in 1958, NACDL's many thousands of direct members in 28 countries – and 90 state, provincial and local affiliate organizations totaling up to 40,000 attorneys – include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, military defense counsel, law professors and judges committed to preserving fairness and promoting a rational and humane criminal legal system.

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