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.
Take a stand for a fair, rational, and humane criminal legal system
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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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Recording and resources for Second Look = Second Chance: The Case for Reconsidering Lengthy & Other Extreme Sentences, a webinar hosted by NACDL on March 11, 2021.
Recording of Second Chance Stories: Returning to Freedom, a webinar hosted by NACDL for Second Chance Month 2022.
Criminal records can have significant collateral consequences, for decades after a conviction, that affect virtually every aspect of a person’s life including employment and licensing, education, public benefits, voting rights and even volunteer opportunities. Expungement, the legal process of removing a criminal record, including arrests and convictions, from the public record, offers an opportunity for individuals to receive a meaningful second chance. Learn more about NACDL’s expungement clinics below.
NACDL's activities in support of Second Chance Month.
We advocate for immediate commutation of sentences, compassionate release, and second chances for persons convicted of non-violent marijuana offenses. The continued prosecution of marijuana crimes continues to cause irreparable harm on real people and their families. Men and women languish in federal prisons across this country for conduct today that has been legalized in many states and under statues that have been rewritten to reflect the evolving landscape in the field of marijuana.
From a Prison Law Library to the New York Times Shon R. Hopwood November 2010 62 I am proof that defense lawyers do make a difference. In 1998, I was sentenced to 12 years and 3 months in federal prison for five armed bank robberies. I was fortunate to have competent counsel and to receive a
