I did not expect to live in a time when we would have to fight for and reinforce the Bill of Rights that was ratified 233 years ago. NACDL has taken a public position on numerous issues, including the threat to take away security clearances for lawyers engaged to defend potential criminal charges against former government officials and prosecutors, deportation and imprisonment abroad of noncitizens without due process, and the government’s assertion that it is no longer bound by orders of a court.

Defense lawyers are the only advocates in the legal arena positioned to take a stand against the erosion of the last vestiges of the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments.

It has always been a presidential prerogative to pardon or commute federal sentences. Here is a modest proposal: What if all federal convictions were reviewed for pardons? Thousands of deserving people might receive an opportunity to reenter and participate in society.

Some of the trials lasted no more than five minutes. None of the Santee Dakota Indians – most who had no command of the English language – had interpreters, counsel, or the ability to call witnesses in their defense.

We are in the era of electronic discovery and ever-increasing information dumps. Defense lawyers are being provided with responses to discovery requests that contain terabytes of information. How do we advise a client concerning the strength or weakness of the government’s case if we must first examine and organize a terabyte of information?

NACDL Warns Executive Order's Dangerous Overreach Undermines Community Safety and Trust in Police – Washington, DC (April 29, 2025) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) expressed deep concern regarding the Executive Order titled "Strengthening and Unleashing America’s Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Citizens," cautioning that several of its proposals represent a dangerous overreach that undermines these goals by jeopardizing individual rights and the legitimacy of law enforcement in the eyes of the community.

Nation’s Defense Bar Reiterates Opposition to Actions Against Law Firms – Washington, DC (March 18, 2025) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) remains deeply concerned over recent executive orders targeting law firms, most recently Paul Weiss and Perkins Coie, and repeats its call to uphold the right to counsel and the independence of the legal profession. Despite a ruling blocking the action against Perkins Coie, the administration has continued to target law firms representing disfavored clients and positions, threatening the right to a zealous defense.

NACDL Condemns Attack on Judge and Erosion of Due Process in Deportation of Alleged Venezuelan Gang Members – Washington, DC (March 18, 2025) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) expresses grave concern regarding the recent deportation flights of Venezuelan individuals accused of gang membership without due process.

NACDL President Chris Wellborn Celebrates President Biden's Clemency for Leonard Peltier –  Washington, DC (Jan 20, 2025) – In a momentous act of justice, President Joseph R. Biden granted clemency to Leonard Peltier, an 80-year-old Indigenous activist, member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, and boarding school survivor who has spent nearly five decades in federal prison.

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Commends President Biden’s Latest Clemency and Pardon Actions – Washington, DC (Jan 19, 2025) – President Biden made a bold and commendable use of his executive power in the last hours of his presidency to pardon five individuals and commute the sentences of two individuals who have made significant contributions to improving their communities.