Washington, DC (Sept. 14, 2016) -- Drew Findling of Atlanta, GA, was sworn in as First Vice President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) at the Association's 59th Annual Meeting in Palm Beach, FL, on August 13.
Findling's practice, The Findling Law Firm, P.C., focuses exclusively on federal and state criminal defense and he tries cases ranging from matters involving complex white collar crimes to serious violent felonies. Findling spent the first three years of his career as a Fulton County, GA public defender. Over the past 30 years, he has represented clients in state and federal courts across the country, as well as in international matters.
As a public defender, he was a leader in developing the battered woman syndrome defense. Nationally, Drew was the first attorney to successfully employ that defense based exclusively on verbal abuse. For his efforts, the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (GACDL) awarded him their Indigent Defense Award. In recent years he has successfully represented a string of well-known clients including: Dennis Rodman, Shaquille O'Neal, Grammy Award Nominee Faith Evans, actor/comedian Mike Epps, rap superstars Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame, Offset from the group Migos, and OG Maco. Findling has also represented Morris Brown College President Dolores Cross, and Fulton County Sheriff Jackie Barrett, and, in the highly publicized public corruption jury trial of Clayton County, GA Sheriff Victor Hill, Findling won an acquittal of all charges in the 37-count indictment. For his effort on behalf of Sheriff Hill, Findling received the NAACP's Civil and Human Rights Award and a commendation by the Legislative Black Caucus of Georgia. He also secured a non-prosecution agreement for the long-serving District Attorney of Douglas County, GA, David McDade.
In his nearly 30 years of practice, Findling has published numerous articles and spoken on such topics as defending battered woman syndrome cases, jury selection in high profile cases, forensic preparation for a criminal trial, effective opening statements and closing arguments, and cross-examination. He has lectured at Emory Law School, Georgia State University College of Law and the University of Georgia Law School. He has been on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College since 1989 and also teaches at NACDL's White Collar Criminal Defense College at Stetson and Tulane University Law School's Pre Trial Criminal Litigation Boot Camp. Findling is also regularly invited by Fox's Shepard Smith and CNN's Brook Baldwin to serve as a legal analyst on their respective national television programs. He is also the exclusive legal analyst for Cumulus' Atlanta News Radio 106.7.
Findling is a member of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, GACDL, and the American Bar Association. Findling also serves on the Board of Advisors for the prestigious National Clearing House on Science and Technology of Law. He has been named as one of Georgia's Legal Elite in Georgia Trend Magazine, Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Top Lawyers in Georgia and as a Georgia "Super Lawyer" by Atlanta Magazine.
A Life Member of NACDL, Findling joined the Association in 1988 and has served multiple terms on the Board of Directors. His commitment includes service as chair of the Forensic Sciences Committee, chair of the Membership Committee, and as co-chair of the Discovery Reform Committee. He also served as a member of NACDL’s Nominating Committee and National Forensics Litigation College Advisory Board.
Findling is a 1981 graduate of Oglethorpe University and a 1984 graduate of the Emory University School of Law.
Contacts
Ezra Dunkle-Polier, NACDL Public Affairs & Communications Assistant, (202) 465-7656 or edunkle-polier@nacdl.org for more information.
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers is the preeminent organization advancing the mission of the criminal defense bar to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or wrongdoing. A professional bar association founded in 1958, NACDL's many thousands of direct members in 28 countries – and 90 state, provincial and local affiliate organizations totaling up to 40,000 attorneys – include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, military defense counsel, law professors and judges committed to preserving fairness and promoting a rational and humane criminal justice system.