Seizing some extraordinary opportunities, we have dramatically increased NACDL's visibility over the past year. No success has been more immediately satisfying than nearing the 10,000-member milestone (we now have some 9700 members). We have grown faster than anyone could ever have imagined -- a fact that further secures our national leadership position in the field of criminal justice, and provides the foundational muscle for the legal and political work that made this year so memorable for me.
The tireless efforts of our staff and our membership brought several magnificent accomplishments over this period. First, our lawsuit to force the release of tens of thousands of documents about the Department of Justice's investigation of abuses associated with the FBI Crime Lab has been a resounding success. A recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler found a "vital" public interest involved in the release of the report, and ordered that substantial attorney fees be paid to our counsel.
Our lawsuit forced the release of the Office of Inspector General's report, and release of most of the IG's working papers. And forced the DOJ to take a position effectively extending the statute of limitations for habeas petitions arising from the report's release. Outside experts have been hired to review the validity of the FBI Lab's work with respect to evidence that contributed to guilty verdicts. A DOJ task force is reviewing approximately 6000 questionable cases.
Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's center-stage indiscretions in the Monica Lewinsky case presented a spectacular opportunity for grand jury reform. Our proposal to rethink the process -- including permitting defense counsel to attend grand jury sessions -- has been incorporated into legislation introduced in Congress. The public now sees up close and personal the prosecutorial excesses that we have been warning about for years. Public outrage is fueling this NACDL-backed legislation. When was the last time we could say that?
At no time had the need for a parent-child privilege been so clear as when Monica Lewinsky's mother, Marcia Lewis, was viewed by millions of Americans leaving the grand jury room trembling after her ordeal before Starr's inquisitors. In response to this abuse of power, we proposed that Congress and the states enact a statutory parent-child communication privilege. Our model legislation has been sent to every state legislature and has received highly-favorable media attention nationwide.
We have filed amicus briefs in a score of high-profile matters, again reasserting our leadership in criminal cases heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. Our amici in two recent Supreme Court cases in which our side prevailed -- the decision to reaffirm that the attorney-client privilege survives death (Swidler & Berlin v. United States), and the rejection of government forum-shopping in a money-laundering case (United States v. Cabrales) -- illustrate the enormous impact we have in this area. Not only did our reasoning win the day, but the lawyers who headed these efforts have been prominently quoted, further forging a positive national identity for NACDL.
This has been a particularly exciting and rewarding year in terms of our legislative efforts. We have demonstrated a new level of maturity and competence in the legislative arena and consistently shown an ability to act quickly and forcefully. Our early-on support for the Hyde Amendment was instrumental in keeping attention focused on unfair prosecutorial practices, particularly in the matter of forfeitures.
In the area of juvenile justice, we worked diligently and successfully to prevent passage of S.10, the horrific bill that mandates that children 14 and under be prosecuted as adults in federal court for any alleged felony contained in the U.S. Code (all according to the unreviewable discretion of a federal prosecutor).
Our ability to forge strong coalitions with groups across the political spectrum has given us power and impact we could not have imagined a few years ago. Our work with William Murphy, my longtime friend who became President of the National District Attorneys Association this year, has helped to blunt the effect of our mutual worst enemy -- headline-grabbing politicians who know little about criminal justice but who revel in chipping away at the rights of the accused to appear "tough" on crime.
We have enjoyed unprecedented access to the highest levels of government. Our leaders have met several times with Attorney General Reno to press our case for a huge increase in funding to correct the imbalances in how defense services -- in particular, indigent defense -- are carried out. This is an especially appropriate topic in this, the 35th anniversary year of Gideon v. Wainwright.
Many challenges lie ahead, many battles are yet to be fought. We can face them with confidence, taking pride in all that we have accomplished and appreciating how far this noble organization has come. The political currents are changing. We no longer face an unrelenting headwind. More than a few times recently, we've positioned ourselves to catch a tailwind. Let us maintain that momentum and soar higher.
I have been honored and privileged to serve as your President.