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
Contact members of congress, sign petitions, and more
Help us continue our fight by donating to NFCJ
Help shape the future of the association
Join the dedicated and passionate team at NACDL
Increase brand exposure while building trust and credibility
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.
Showing 1 - 15 of 56 results
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.
This webinar provides a medical primer about the current state of medicine with regard to HIV research and treatment. This primer is be coupled with a discussion on how to use medical research to develop defenses, present the court with mitigation, negotiate favorable pleas for clients, and litigate constitutional, evidentiary, and discovery issues. There is also a section exploring the ethical issues that attorneys must grapple with when handling these cases.
Lawyers tell the story of a client’s case by employing themes and theories. After the theme and theory are in place, they influence everything from voir dire to closing argument.
This month Jon May reviews Elegant Legal Writing by Ryan McCarl.
Steven Epstein urges defense attorneys to be creative when planning, writing, and editing their motions. He identifies the trilogy that is fundamental to motion practice: the law, the facts, and the emotions that drive decisions.
Cell Site Simulators, also known as IMSI catchers or Stingrays, mimic cell towers and trick phones within their radius into communicating with them instead, during which they are able to collect information about the device. Using a cell site simualtor is a Fourth Amendment Search, sometimes conducted without a court order. This resource explains this technology works, their judical authorization, how to identify this evidence in a case, and how to challenge that evidence.
This month Cuauhtemoc Ortega reviews A Defender’s Guide to Federal Evidence: A Trial Practice Handbook for Criminal Defense Attorneys by Rene L. Valladares.
When a witness gives an evasive answer, how can defense counsel put the witness back on track?
The below primer is a fact sheet on Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs). This software can run on a wide variety of video streams and captures information about vehicles as they pass including the license plate number, make and model of the car, the time and location, and sometimes the occupants. The primer explains how law enforcement use this information and walks through some potential arguments for defense lawyers challenging this evidence in their cases.
White collar cases are complex, and the clients in these cases are often part of society’s higher social strata. From “being bold” at the first meeting with the client to dealing with the client’s desire to talk to the press, veteran defense attorney Jim Brosnahan offers 10 tips that will make a white collar representation smoother.
Sometimes a prosecution witness did part of his or her job well, and as a result, the evidence found assists the defense team. Defense counsel can flip the script by causing a prosecution witness to vouch for evidence that favors the client.
This month Al Menaster reviews Wilkes Syndrome: Trials of a Defense Attorney by Charles Sevilla.
What is constructive cross-examination? What are the components of constructive cross-examination chapters? Larry Pozner explains.
Making objections is an essential part of defending clients and protecting their rights. To combat the daunting nature of objections, defense lawyers should be familiar with the objections they are most likely to encounter. Rene L. Valladares and Hannah Nelson provide practitioners with a primer on the top 20 objections. A useful flowchart and quick reference guides accompany the article.
This month Randy Sue Pollock reviews The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald by William Alsup.