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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The American Bar Association published an ethics opinion in 2023 that clarifies the proper methods for handling advance fees, including when to treat them as earned.
How to Protect Your Client's Online Reputation with NetReputation.com
A listening session sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Prisons provided an opportunity for NACDL to share its concerns with Bureau staff members on multiple topics of interest.
This month Susan Elizabeth Reese reviews The Lifer and the Lawyer: A Story of Punishment, Penitence, and Privilege by George Critchlow with Michael Anderson.
ABA Formal Opinion 500 makes clear that Model Professional Rules of Conduct 1.1, 1.4, and 5.3 apply to language access. The opinion instructs that lawyers (1) must make assessments as to when an interpreter or translator is needed; (2) cannot make the client responsible for procuring the service; and (3) bear the responsibility for making sure that the client understands the lawyer’s advice.
This month Elizabeth Kelley reviews Trying Times: A Lawyer’s 50-Year Struggle Fighting for Rights in a World of Wrongs by Terry Gilbert with Carlo Wolff.
Defense lawyers and their clients will face challenges as courts begin to reopen after the coronavirus pandemic.
There is a growing demand for courtroom interpretation and a shortage of qualified interpreters. Making sure that an individual’s defense does not get lost in translation requires understanding the regulatory framework in which courtroom interpretation occurs, anticipating common problems that arise from the presence of foreign language witnesses and evidence, and developing a record when a judge adopts a questionable procedure. Defense attorney Gabriel Reyes provides some practical considerations for trial counsel.
This month Tucker Carrington reviews Guilty People by Abbe Smith.
Many lawyers have represented clients who believe they want to go to trial and testify in their own defense. How do lawyers advise clients regarding this critical decision whether to testify? How should counsel integrate the client’s decision to testify (or not) throughout the remainder of the trial?
The client or witness who does not speak English can be scared, distrustful, or hostile. Criminal defense attorneys face the challenge of finding the right interpreter to communicate effectively with their clients or witnesses. The process is rife with potential pitfalls due to cultural differences and language barriers.
15 red flags for identifying potentially difficult client John Wesley Hall, Edited by Elizabeth Kelley
