During its 2023-2024 Term, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed criminal penalties for people who are homeless; blocked the ATF’s regulation of bump stocks; ended Chevron deference, a landmark doctrine of administrative review; and decided that U.S. presidents are immune from criminal prosecution for core constitutional acts taken during their tenure in office. Criminal defense lawyers will talk about these cases for years to come.

Criminal defense lawyers stand as a bulwark against the forces that would seek to erase the rights and humanity of people accused of committing a crime. Standing as a fortress takes incredible courage, but the fearlessness of defense advocates is nothing new. History is filled with examples of defenders who risked their careers, reputations, and personal safety to stand up for their clients.

After his conviction, Donald Trump unleashed an unprecedented attack on the American legal system. It is time for defense lawyers to defend the best – though flawed – legal system in the history of the world.

This month Cara Wieneke reviews Profit and Punishment: How America Criminalizes the Poor in the Name of Justice by Tony Messenger.

Michael Heiskell says that “when Donald Trump is on trial, so is the rule of law.” The legal proceedings involving Trump serve as a reminder of defense lawyers’ vital role as constitutional warriors who are essential to the sustainability and survival of the legal system.

Issues that resonated in the 1950s – including the struggle for civil rights and racial justice – still occupy us today. One of the things that inspires us to continue fighting for justice is our confidence in the power of redemption.

While she was growing up, Paige Medinger always knew that she wanted to help people. She decided during her junior year of college that becoming a criminal defense attorney was the right fit for her. Now she is a third-year law student, and her lifetime of fighting for clients’ rights is about to begin.

We write to express our opposition to efforts to obstruct the District of Columbia’s Revised Criminal Code Act, including any resolution of disapproval or budget rider. The Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022 (RCCA) is the product of 16 years of research, an expert commission, 51 public meetings, extensive public feedback, and robust negotiation. ... We urge you to oppose these attacks on the RCCA and vote against any resolution of disapproval.

We write to express our opposition to efforts to obstruct the District of Columbia’s Revised Criminal Code Act, including any resolution of disapproval or budget rider. The Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022 (RCCA) is the product of 16 years of research, an expert commission, 51 public meetings, extensive public feedback, and robust negotiation. … We urge you to oppose these attacks on the RCCA and vote against any resolution of disapproval.

President John Wesley Hall's letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs leadership regarding the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009 (S. 714), which would thoroughly review the state of local, state, and federal criminal justice systems.

This week's podcast explores aspects of the criminal justice systems of both Denmark and New Zealand.