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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This training program will aid those working to defend persons accused of homicide in drug-related overdose deaths. Each section of the program focuses on a different aspect of these cases. CLE is not available for this program.
On behalf of NACDL, I write to express our opposition to LD 1101 which proposes changes that would undermine independence, reverse the recent advances Maine has made to improve its public defense delivery system, and fails to address the factors at the heart of the state’s current challenges in meeting the constitution’s right to counsel. Though we recognize the urgent need to address the backlog of cases and ensure access to legal representation, lowering standards for public defenders and reversion to judicial appointments of counsel are not the solution.
Joint Application of the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, the California Public Defender Association, the National Association Of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the New York Legal Aid Society, the Innocence Project, Inc., the New York County Defender Services, the Federal Defenders Office for the Eastern District Of California, the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office, and the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association to Appear as Amicus Curiae on Behalf of Real Party in Interest Pina Pursuant to California Rule of Court, Rule 8.520 (F), and Brief in Support of Real Party in Interest Pina.
In response to the ongoing crisis in Wisconsin where thousands of people facing criminal charges are waiting for lawyers to be assigned to their cases, NACDL, our Wisconsin affiliate (WACDL), the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law at NYU School of Law, and the Chicago office of Winston & Strawn filed a lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed in Brown County (Green Bay), one of the many counties in the state struggling to find lawyers for every eligible individual, leaving people waiting weeks, months, and in some instances, a year or more, for a lawyer.
Review Texas pretrial statutes, case law, and practices, and gain new insights and practice points, in order to best advocate for your client. [Released May 2020]
Meaningful early representation helps protect individuals from a legal system that often punishes persons before they are convicted, forces guilty pleas to obtain release, and incarcerates the poor simply because they cannot afford to buy their freedom. This manual is designed to help support public defense lawyers in Virginia to improve the provision of early representation practices through zealous, effective, and informed efforts on behalf of those persons accused of criminal offenses. [Released Jan 2025]
Despite the fact that the data shows the overwhelming majority of individuals appear for their court dates and are not charged with any new crimes while awaiting trial, many Virginians face harmful pretrial detention. As incarceration for even a single day has substantial negative impacts on those detained, their families, and their cases, it is critical that steps be taken to mitigate against the use of unnecessary pretrial detention and promote practices that facilitate the prompt release of individuals awaiting trial.
Until recently, the effectiveness of Virginia’s pretrial system in achieving its goals of public safety, protection of individual freedoms, and efficient and just court proceedings has been hard to ascertain, due in part to the lack of available systematic data. New data released as part of the Virginia Pretrial Data Project (PDP) now provide opportunities to more closely examine the pretrial system in much richer detail and with more rigorous statistical methods than have previously been available. [Released Jul 2024]
“[A]n essential component” of the right to an impartial jury is the “selection of a jury from a representative cross-section of the community.” Taylor v. Louisiana, 419 U.S. 522, 528 (1975).
Learn about jury diversity from national experts, local judicial officials, and practitioners.
Learn about jury diversity from leading experts and practitioners. This webinar features a diverse panel of national and Minnesota-based professionals sharing their experiences and recommendations.
Virginia law allows incarcerated individuals to ask the Governor of Virginia for a conditional pardon. A conditional pardon allows the Governor to change or end a criminal sentence imposed by a court. In order to seek a conditional pardon, you must submit a petition to the Governor’s office.
This page is for informational purposes only and applies to people sentenced in Virginia state court.
Powerpoint slides by Jenice Fountain of Yellowhammer Fund. Presented at the NACDL annual summit Policing Pregnancy: The Impact of Data and Surveillance on Reproductive Healthcare in December 2024
NACDL is providing resources regarding the Criminalization of Pregnancy and Reproductive Health to the criminal defense community. Resources are provided without warranty or guarantee. Please consult the laws and rules of your state and local authorities. Please log in to access them. Membership is NOT required.
