NACDL - National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

NACDL files amicus briefs in federal and state courts across the nation in those cases that present issues of importance to criminal defendants, criminal defense lawyers, and/or the criminal legal system as a whole. NACDL is one of the most successful of the frequent amicus contributors to the nation’s state and federal courts, in part because NACDL draws upon the collected expertise of the nation’s criminal defense bar.

NACDL seeks volunteers in historic pro bono effort to secure compassionate release for the most vulnerable federal prisoners.

NACDL to Focus on Service and Support for Members, Clients, and Community Throughout Virus Emergency

As a leader in the fight against overcriminalization and mass incarceration, NACDL is committed to providing the defense bar with tools they need to defend the complex, varied pregnancy and abortion-related cases arising from the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. These tools support lawyers defending cases ranging from child endangerment to homicide brought against a wide array of individuals, including women charged for their pregnancy outcomes or actions while pregnant, abortion seekers, providers, and those caught up in the wide net of conspiracy and accomplice statutes.

Through generous support from the NFCJ, NACDL is proud to offer its Diversity Summer Law Fellowship program. The Fellowship provides opportunities for law students from historically underrepresented backgrounds to work with exceptional and experienced criminal defense attorneys. Students receive a weekly stipend for up to eight weeks of summer employment. 

NACDL's Fourth Amendment Center offers direct assistance to defense lawyers handling cases involving new surveillance tools, technologies and tactics that infringe on the constitutional rights of people in America. The Center is available to help members of the defense bar in bringing new Fourth Amendment challenges.

 To request assistance or additional information, contact 4AC@nacdl.org.

From 2020-2023, NACDL’s Full Disclosure Project disrupted the culture of secrecy that shields law enforcement misconduct by building technology to track law enforcement misconduct, empowering defenders with tools and training, and advocating for greater police transparency and accountability.

NACDL's numerous studies, reports, and recommendations are described and linked to from this page. From body cameras to discovery reform, and from public defense to electronic surveillance, NACDL's groundbreaking research and reform proposals can be found here.

NACDL’s Trial Penalty Clemency Project seeks to recruit volunteers to assist federal prisoners seeking commutations. 

As a result of generous grant funding, NACDL is able to offer scholarship assistance to public defense attorneys to attend training programs.

NACDL’s Return to Freedom Project helps those serving overly harsh sentences seek relief by partnering with partner organizations to recruit, train, and support pro bono volunteers to secure clemency, compassionate release, or expungement.