2026 News Release Archive

NACDL’s Public Affairs & Communications Department issues news releases on behalf of the association concerning developing news events as well as announcements and policy positions of the association.

News Release ~ Bar Complaints

NACDL Condemns DOJ Proposal to Shield Its Own Attorneys from Independent Bar Oversight – Washington, DC (March 10, 2026) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) condemned a proposed Department of Justice rule that would grant Attorney General Pam Bondi the authority to suspend state bar ethics investigations into current and former DOJ attorneys — including investigations into Bondi and members of her own leadership team, who are currently facing or have recently faced state bar complaints over their conduct in running the Department.

News Release ~ Mary Fox Champion of Public Defense Award

Former Missouri State Public Defender Director Mary Fox Receives Champion of Public Defense Award from Nation's Criminal Defense Bar – Washington, DC (February 23, 2026) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) presented Former Missouri State Public Defender Director Mary Fox with the 2026 Champion of Public Defense Award. Awarded by NACDL’s Public Defense Committee, the Champion of Public Defense Award recognizes an individual or group for exceptional efforts in making positive changes to a local, county, state, or federal public defense system.

News Release ~ Jean Faria

Baton Rouge Criminal Defense Lawyer Jean Faria Honored by National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers – Washington, DC (February 23, 2026) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) honored Baton Rouge criminal defense lawyer Jean Faria at a reception during their Midwinter Meeting in New Orleans, LA.

News Release ~ Calvin Duncan

Calvin Duncan, Criminal Legal Reform Advocate and Incoming Clerk of Criminal Court for Orleans Parish, Honored by National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers – Washington, DC (February 23, 2026) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) honored Calvin Duncan, criminal legal reform advocate and incoming Clerk of Criminal Court for Orleans Parish, at a reception during their Midwinter Meeting in New Orleans, LA.

News Release ~ NACDL Denounces Federal Assault on Transgender Rights

NACDL Denounces Federal Assault on Transgender Rights; Board Resolution Confronts New Prison Policies as Source of Cruelty and Institutional Chaos – Washington, DC (February 23, 2026) – The Board of Directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) on February 21 passed a resolution defending the fundamental rights and human dignity of transgender individuals, signaling a unified challenge to the federal government’s escalating use of the carceral system to target marginalized communities.

News Release ~ Criminal Case Tracker

NACDL Launches National ‘Criminal Case Tracker’ as Federal Grand Juries and Trial Juries Rebel Against Prosecutorial Overreach – Washington, DC (February 18, 2026) – Amid growing concerns about federal charging practices, NACDL has launched its new Criminal Case Tracker. This new digital resource, available at www.nacdl.org/casetracker, provides defense counsel and the public with a structured, continually updated view of select federal prosecutions that reflect emerging enforcement theories, novel legal applications, and departures from historic charging practices. 

News Release ~ ICE Officer Conduct

NACDL Statement on ICE Officers' Conduct and the Preservation of Due Process  – Washington, DC (January 24, 2026) – In response to mounting concerns regarding federal enforcement interactions and the necessity of rigorous oversight, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) President Andrew Birrell and Executive Director Lisa Wayne issued the following statement regarding the urgent need for systemic reform and accountability for ICE personnel.

News Release ~ Ellingburg

Supreme Court Unanimously Curbs “Punishment Without End”: Restitution Declared a Criminal Penalty, Not a Civil Debt — Washington, DC (January 20, 2026) — In a landmark 9-0 ruling on January 20, the Supreme Court of the United States curbed the government’s ability to keep individuals in a permanent "debt-trap." In Ellingburg v. United States (No. 24-482), the Court ruled that federal restitution is “plainly criminal punishment.”

 

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