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 and highlights efforts toward systemic advances through legislation, litigation, or other strategies.
Mary Fox served in the Missouri State Public Defender system for over 24 years, first as an intern, then as a line public defender, and then as the managing attorney of the St. Louis City trial office. In 2020, she became the director of the Missouri State Public Defender system.
Mary’s accomplishments during her tenure include lobbying for and successfully overseeing significant increases in funding and staffing at the Missouri State Public Defender, including approximately $30 million in increased funding, the creation of 91 full-time new positions, and the elimination of waitlists for public defender services. She also helped launch Missouri’s Holistic Defense Services, a new statewide program to provide wraparound services for clients including housing, transportation, substance use treatment, and mental health treatment.
“I have had the pleasure of hearing from many of Mary’s colleagues who have described her as a force for good, a remarkable and effective leader, a dedicated public servant, and as an inspiration,” said NACDL Public Defense Committee Co-Chair Eugene Oliver. “Mary retired from the Missouri State Public Defender system in June 2025 and in her retirement, Mary has continued to advocate and stand up for the ideals she exemplified throughout her career as the coordinator of the Death Penalty Abolition Program with the Archdiocese of St. Louis. It is our honor today to recognize and honor Mary’s work.”
Said Mary’s longtime colleague Charles Atwell: “She worked hand in glove in the legislature, often times with very conservative folks, and she was able to get some amazing things done. And she did so because she gained people’s respect because she was such an incredible human being who would always talk to you no matter what you felt, no matter what you thought, no matter who you were.”
Contacts
Jessie Diamond, Deputy Director, Public Affairs and Communications, (202) 465-7647 or jdiamond@nacdl.org
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 legal system.
