Renewed War on Drugs, harsher charging policies, stepped-up criminalization of immigrants — in the current climate, joining the NACDL is more important than ever. Members of NACDL help to support the only national organization working at all levels of government to ensure that the voice of the defense bar is heard.
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NACDL is committed to enhancing the capacity of the criminal defense bar to safeguard fundamental constitutional rights.
NACDL harnesses the unique perspectives of NACDL members to advocate for policy and practice improvements in the criminal legal system.
NACDL envisions a society where all individuals receive fair, rational, and humane treatment within the criminal legal system.
NACDL’s mission is to serve as a leader, alongside diverse coalitions, in identifying and reforming flaws and inequities in the criminal legal system, and redressing systemic racism, and ensuring that its members and others in the criminal defense bar are fully equipped to serve all accused persons at the highest level.
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The question presented is whether it is ethical for a criminal defense lawyer to participate in a plea agreement that bars collateral attacks on convictions under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 in the absence of an express exclusion for claims based on ineffective assistance of counsel.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and NACDL filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) seeking public records detailing the Department of Justice’s implementation of December 2022 memoranda establishing new policies for all federal prosecutors’ charging and sentencing practices.
Criminal defense lawyers should think about how their representation changes depending upon whether the prosecutor’s evidence is overwhelming, whether they believe the client is guilty but the prosecutor’s case is shaky, or they believe the client is innocent of the charges.
NACDL President Cynthia Hujar Orr’s written statement to the U.S. Sentencing Commission regarding mandatory minimum sentencing in federal law and the value of case-specific discretion.
Many voices have sounded the alarm and are mobilizing to untangle the complex web of laws, rules, and culture that authorize coercive plea bargaining practices.
Comments with FAMM to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco regarding U.S. Attorney offices requiring waiver of the right to seek compassionate release during plea negotiations.
Comments to the Judicial Conference Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure regarding a proposed amendment to Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.
Letter to the Judicial Conference Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure regarding proposed changes to the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, except those related to criminal forfeiture.
Brief for the National Association of Criminal Defense lawyers as Amicus Curiae in Support of Petitioner (on petition for a writ of certiorari)
Amicus Brief of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in Support of Defendant-Appellant and Reversal
